Greetings!

Welcome to Pediatrics for Parents, the Bellaonline Pediatrics Newsletter. I’m Katie Thomas, health writer, grandmother, mother, and the Pediatrics editor at Bellaoneline. My 25 years as president of Nursing Services/CMSI has given me a broad background in healthcare research and writing. As a grandparent raising a chronically ill child, I share an important point of view with many concerned and loving parents and grandparents.

There is a lot of excellent information out there formatted for healthcare professionals, but parents often have to rely on TV reporting and other media types to give them "popularized" info - all too often stepped down because they believe that parents can't understand the hard stuff.

The newsletter's name says it all:

Pediatrics: defines the site content which includes parenting, child health (and sickness), growth and development, relationship issues, and other important concerns related to our children and grandchildren.
for Parents: because the content is information geared to parents - whatever your generation - and designed to help us grow healthy kids, inside and out - as well as to help us with our own special problems related to being parents.

Pediatrics for Parents is designed around you and your busy lives. Each week will feature not only new articles on BellaOnLine, but also interesting health news and tidbits.

Here are some of the features Pediatrics for Parents will cover:

*New articles
*What's News?: parenting and child health news and links
*Resources and Product Reviews: books, recalls, toys and more -seasonally
*What’s on your mind? QA driven by your questions and feedback

I don't intend to become part of your junk folder, by bombarding you with unnecessary information. Your Pediatrics for Parents will update you, and provide you with information that you can follow up when convenient. Bookmark my column for easy review.

Remember: bellaonline NEVER sells or distributes your email addresses or other information. Being a Pediatrics for Parents recipient will not add you to any spam list!

I hope you’ll stay in touch and contact me often with your suggestions, questions, feedback and ideas. Chances are if you are wondering about something with one of your kids, another parent among us is, too!

Good parenting!

Katie