Mommy Docs in DC

An interesting new, locally-generated site crossed our desk today via press release - seems to hit the right chords on many levels - a combo "Mom-Physician" site, run by two minivan-driving, kid-raising local mom-physicians. One of the more interesting points here is the statistic claiming "89% of Moms use the Internet at least 2x per day"...

"Potomac, Maryland, March 20, 2008 ­– Just in time for spring, www.MommyDocs.com relaunches with seasonal allergy solutions and overall wellness strategies for keeping kids healthy. As the first pediatric informational site by moms, for moms, doctors Jamie A. Freishtat, a board certified pediatrician and pediatric associate physician at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, and Rachel L. Schreiber, a board certified allergist/immunologist, internist and Medical Director of Family HealthCare Allergy & Asthma Specialists in Germantown, Maryland, now provide parents with children’s health information and expert advice.

MommyDocs.com offers interactive online features including podcasts on topics ranging from allergies and nutrition to sleep problems and separation anxiety. Parents can join upcoming Wednesday web chats on March 19 and April 2 from 8:30pm – 9:30pm Eastern Daylight Time, commiserate with the MommyDocs’ own child-rearing challenges on their blog, or submit a question to “Ask the MDs.”

“A parent’s job is 24/7, and whether you’re dealing with a toddler’s watery eyes or a preteen’s fever at midnight, MommyDocs.com provides good, basic information fast, without paging the doctor or waking up grandma,” says MommyDoc Schreiber. “Having two sons of my own and interacting with patients daily, I know that health concerns continue between doctor’s appointments, whether it’s wheezing and sneezing or figuring out how to untangle silly putty from hair! At MommyDocs.com, we provide practical information parents can put into practice right away.”

Freishtat and Schreiber conceived MommyDocs in the preschool carpool line, where they faced a daily barrage of parents’ questions about everything from eczema to ear infections. Recalling their “curbside consults” in medical school, they realized they could deliver their medical and mom expertise in a more streamlined way. Recognizing research studies that showed 88 percent of moms said they rely on the Web for parental guidance, advice, and ideas for raising their children [1] - and that 89 percent of moms are on the Internet at least twice a day [2] - they developed MommyDocs.com.

The MommyDocs appear regularly on Washington, DC’s CBS affiliate WUSA-TV/Channel 9 morning newscasts; are “Baby Health” experts on The Bump (www.thebump.com); and write a monthly column in Washington Parent Magazine. Besides sharing the goal of helping parents raise healthy kids, each MommyDoc has two sons, one chocolate lab, and a silver minivan."