Great Blogs on Children, Health, and Parenting

What a delightful surprise I had this morning. I opened my E-mail and found that the OnParenting blog had been named one of "100 Pediatric Health Blogs Every Mom Should Read" by the Nurse Practitioner Schools Web site. Thank you, nurse practitioners! Of course, if every mom read 100 pediatric health blogs she'd have no time to be a mom, let alone do laundry, cure cancer, and bring peace to the Middle East. But this list is chock-full of terrific blogs of all flavors and is well worth a browse, whether you're looking for information on a particular topic or just for a good excuse to procrastinate a bit. It's educational, really! From that rich list, here are a few of my personal favorites:

For a blog by a doctor, check out drgreene.com, from pediatrician Alan Greene, a dad of four. He's so friendly and down-to-earth that when I see him in person, I feel like we're sitting in the backyard talking kid stuff over a beer. He was one of the first doctors to blog, way back in the 1990s, and he's deeply interested in how new forms of communications and technology can improve healthcare.

Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe is another blogging pediatrician I've met who's the kind of doc I'd want for my own kids. She keeps a close eye on news and trends, like a recent report saying that teenagers turned to parents first to get reliable health information. Check her out at DrGwennisin.com.

For a mommy doctor with an edge, check out Esther's Mainstream Parenting blog. She's not afraid to rip into the whole autism/vaccines mess, and a recent post points out that the bright-blue food coloring in M&Ms might turn out to reduce the damage in spinal cord injuries (at least in rats). She's also a fan of one of my favorite mommy bloggers, Paula Spencer, who writes the Momfidence blog for Woman's Day. Today, Paula tackles the sticky issue of drinking alcohol and breast-feeding and explains how her laid-back approach helped her not fear the beer and breast-feed four healthy children.

Blogher.com wasn't on the nurses' list, but there's a wealth of great women writing there.

So many great Web sites, not enough time. I'll tackle blogs and Web sites that address children's behavior and mental health in another post. Which blogs and Web sites do you turn to for information, support, or a much needed laugh on the adventure of parenting? Do tell.