December 4, 2007

Palo Alto Medical Foundation Launches Updated Health Web Site for Parents

PAMF has a new and improved resource for parents looking for answers about a newborn's development, advice on talking to a preteen about difficult topics or supporting a teen struggling with making the right decision.

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) recently launched an updated health Web site for the parents of teens, preteens and younger children at www.pamf.org/parents. Supported in part by a grant from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, the site includes a wealth of information for parents that will help to facilitate discussions with their children about what can sometimes be difficult topics, such as depression, bullying, and alcohol and drugs.

“The updated site is really one-stop shopping for parents looking for medically accurate information,” said Nancy Brown, Ph.D., M.A., Ed.S, a senior research associate at PAMF. “The site is easy to read and includes links to trusted information in the teen and preteen sites for parents to give their children, or read themselves to know what their children already know and are talking about.”

Each site at www.pamf.org/parents offers age appropriate information for parents:

  • Children (www.pamf.org/children) – Information for parents of all ages about common concerns including child development, illness and injury, as well as useful links to additional resources.
  • Preteen (www.pamf.org/preteen) – Information for parents of preteens (ages 9 to 12) about a variety of topics as well as resources to help parents understand and better communicate with their preteens.
  • Teen (www.pamf.org/teen) – Information for parents of teens about topics like teen growth and development, helping teens make responsible decisions and talking to teens about sex.

On the newly revised preteen and teen sites, parents will also find links to book reviews and other relevant resources outside of PAMF. To help parents stay up-to-date on the latest studies and discoveries in adolescent health research, PAMF physicians and researchers review and provide a summary of new and important information on a range of subjects with links to the relevant study or organization. There are also polls about parenting issues and a place where parents can rate the books that have been recommended by PAMF. In addition, there are links to the "We're Talking Health" content for parents and their children. Since launching in 2001 and 2004 respectively, the “We’re Talking” site for teens and the “We’re Talking Too” site for preteens have generated more than 5,000,000 visits from people around the world.

PAMF doctors and staff members write and review content for the sites, which are overseen by the Foundation’s Adolescent Interest Group comprised of physicians and staff members from PAMF’s health education, psychiatry, research, family medicine, pediatrics and administration departments. Local parents, teachers and community members also provide feedback. In addition to PAMF’s sponsorship, the sites have also received generous support from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health.

“Our foundation takes a particular interest in the preteen years, which are a time of such enormous physical and emotional transition,” said David Alexander, M.D., CEO and president of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. “Preteens, teenagers and their parents often seek the kind of practical, age-appropriate guidance these Web sites provide, so we’re pleased to offer our support to bring these resources together.”

“Our goal is to stimulate conversations between parents and their kids about the issues they are facing as they grow up,” said Brown. “Beginning these discussions at an early age sets a foundation for communication in future years.”
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