Iisha Guadalupe of Valley Stream admits to being somewhat bothered and confused by all the seemingly conflicting medical information that’s routinely offered up to new parents. “You get nervous about all these new studies because there’s always a new medication to keep up with,” says the concerned mom of 19-month-old Tyler. “For me, I like to take advice from my son’s pediatrician and from my family. But what happens if you just don’t agree with the studies?”

For instance, Guadalupe has researched the topic of vaccinations and their possible relationship to autism. “I did what I was told and got Tyler immunized at 12 and 15 months. But now it seems to me that he always has a cold or fever since he was vaccinated and I worry I did the wrong thing,” she says.

In fact, when she mentioned this to her doctor and other parents, Guadalupe was told that unless Tyler completed the regimen of required vaccinations, he wouldn’t be allowed to attend school. “You do research, you ask questions and read as much as you can about new information. But how do you keep up with it?” the mother asks.

It’s a question echoed by many parents today, the same moms and dads who can take advantage of the Internet’s daily onslaught of new medical studies. The problem is that with so much information available, parents often become overwhelmed and unsure of how to make sense of it all.

A Handle on the Truth

Even the most educated adults may be reduced to a bundle of nerves when faced with the perennial questions of the age: breast versus bottle milk, cow versus soy milk, disposable bottles versus daily sterilization? Then there’s, how long to let the baby cry? Do pacifiers cause dental problems? Should babies go to sleep with a bottle? When should they give up the bottle and turn to solid foods? And these are just a few of the more benign questions. Underlying all this is the exhausted parent’s real dilemma: Who really has a handle on what the truth is?

Christopher Tolcher, M.D., F.A.A.P., a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), says the “hot button” issues that he sees as most worrisome to parents include the recent statement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines shouldn’t be given to children under the age of two; the debate over vaccines (many that used to contain thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative) and the rising numbers of children living with autism; obesity; and the use of probiotics in baby’s formula. Given all these concerns, he says parents must first learn to identify the facts.

“Sometimes issues that make the news are more hyped by the media than they should be and are presented with little scientific evidence to back them up,” says Dr. Tolcher. “It’s impossible for even the most sophisticated and well-educated parents to stay on top of all the available information. For this reason, parents should discuss their concerns with a trusted pediatrician or select sources of information, like the AAP Web site.”

Further, Dr. Tolcher urges parents to use their best instincts. “No one knows your child better than you do,” he says. “And, if you’re convinced that something is wrong or that your child is missing a milestone, we urge you to discuss this with your pediatrician. No doctor will consider you unreasonable if you have a specific observation or complaint.”

Check Your Sources

In order for parents to understand the ramifications of their health care decisions on their children, they must also know the reliability of other sources of information, says Michael Frogel, M.D., chief of general pediatrics at Schneider Children’s Hospital of the North Shore-LIJ Health System in New Hyde Park. “One suggestion is to check to see if the study is peer-reviewed, which means that physicians who aren’t directly involved with the work are giving their opinions. This way, parents can be confident that the findings were analyzed properly,” he says.

An excellent example of this idea can be found in the cough and cold medicine debate, says Dr. Frogel. “We understand that when their children are suffering, the parent’s first reaction is to give something to ease a symptom. We’ve been saying for a long time that these medications do nothing to cure the cold itself, and that parents would be better off using a humidifier and giving their child nose drops.”

Manufacturers of these products targeted to infants voluntarily agreed to pull them earlier this year following the published findings of a federal committee, an extraordinary move when one considers recent estimates that Americans may spend almost $2 billion annually on such medications, Dr. Frogel says.

“This is an example of a study that, we hope, will change the behavior of most parents. Instead of driving themselves crazy, parents should stay focused on those issues most relevant to their own children and their illnesses,” Dr. Frogel says. “We believe that today’s parents are educated enough to know what works best for their families. So, unless new studies come out that prove with great certainty that something better has been discovered, we urge you to stick with what works for you.”

Maintain Your Cool

While considering all of this information, remain calm. “Parents are being bombarded by often conflicting information, which, when coupled with their fear of anything happening to their kids, can often result in panic,” says Jonathan Horwitz, an attending pediatric physician at Schneider Children’s Hospital with a practice in Bayside. “Some parents continue to panic based on what they’ve read about or seen on the news.”

Dr. Horwitz suggests that parents take a long, hard look at what they can do to influence the good health of their children. “Once you’ve consulted with your child’s pediatrician, consider the many factors that go into creating a lifestyle of good health, such as diet and nutrition, exercise and the ability to play creatively,” he says. “Beyond that, listen to your doctor, read what’s pertinent to your child and then relax.”

Controversial Studies and Their Conclusions

Cough medications: In January 2007, the FDA issued a public health advisory stating that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines shouldn’t be given to children under two. The medicines, which include decongestants, expectorants, antihistamines and cough suppressants, have been associated with different rare, but serious events including convulsions, decreased levels of consciousness and death.

Vaccinations: One of the “hot-button” topics cited by parents is concern over a possible link between childhood vaccines and autism. Latest research findings offer more evidence that vaccines aren’t to blame for the dramatic rise in reported cases of autism. A study published in July 2006 in the Journal of Pediatrics reported that, in fact, a higher incidence of autism was seen in Canadian children vaccinated after thimerosal was eliminated from vaccines than among children who received thimerosal-containing immunizations. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that “the evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. “

Milk allergies: Some experts suggest that more than 100,000 babies in America might suffer from milk allergies. Still others might be lactose-intolerant (meaning that they’re allergic to the milk sugar in all dairy products). Recommended cow’s milk alternatives include goat’s milk (contains lactose, so not the best choice for children with intolerance), rice milk (good for children who either suffer from allergies or who are lactose-intolerant, though much lower in protein than cow’s milk) and soy milk (high in protein and the most popular alternative to cow’s milk, but many children who are allergic to cow’s milk are also allergic to soy).