Newborn Screening Tests Explained: What the Hospital Looks For
A plain-English guide to the three categories of newborn screening — blood spot, hearing, and pulse oximetry — what they look for, what positive results mean, …
Read more →EIS Family Health Guide
Practical guides for families navigating healthcare with infants and young children
What this site is for
You probably landed here because you’re researching something specific — a hospital bill that doesn’t add up, a Medicaid form you can’t decipher, a NICU stay you didn’t plan for, or one of the dozens of decisions that come up in the first few years of a child’s life and that nobody really walks you through in the room.
We write practical, plain-English guides for those moments. Not medical advice — guides for the conversations and decisions you have to make around the medical care. How to ask questions that get answered. How to read documents that aren’t written for you. How to find programs that exist for families like yours but that nobody points you to.
Every claim we make is linked to its primary source — federal agencies, accredited medical organizations, or peer-reviewed research — so you can verify everything yourself and dig deeper. We don’t claim to be doctors, nurses, social workers, or attorneys. We’re writers who cover this beat and point you at people who are those things.
If your child is experiencing a medical emergency, call 911. For medical questions, contact your child’s pediatrician. For everything else, browse the sections below or use search.
Latest Articles
How to Evaluate a Nonprofit's Board When Choosing a Family-Aid Charity
What to look for in a charity's board of directors when you're deciding whether to donate or volunteer with a family-aid nonprofit.
Read more →Urgent Care vs ER for an Infant: How to Decide at 2 a.m.
A practical, plain-English framework for deciding when an infant needs the ER, when urgent care is appropriate, and when symptoms mean call 911 — not drive.
Read more →Volunteering with Infant-Aid Charities: A Parent's Guide
Practical guide for parents who want to volunteer time with diaper banks, NICU support orgs, and other infant-aid charities — what they need, how to find them, …
Read more →Choosing a Pediatrician: 12 Questions to Ask Before You Commit
A practical, parent-tested list of the 12 questions to ask before choosing your child's pediatrician — from board certification to after-hours access to red …
Read more →Medicaid for Children in 2026: State-by-State Income Eligibility Guide
Plain-English guide to Medicaid and CHIP eligibility for kids in 2026 — how the two-track system works, what each state allows, enrollment steps, and renewal …
Read more →Hospital Navigation
NICU Survival Guide: The First 30 Days for New Parents
A plain-English guide to the first 30 days in the NICU — levels of care, equipment, daily rounds, what to ask, and how to take care of yourself.
Read more →Health Insurance & Billing
Medicaid for Children in 2026: State-by-State Income Eligibility Guide
Plain-English guide to Medicaid and CHIP eligibility for kids in 2026 — how the two-track system works, what each state allows, enrollment steps, and renewal …
Read more →How to Read Your Hospital Bill After a NICU or Inpatient Stay
Plain-English guide to reading itemized hospital bills, EOBs, and summary statements after a NICU or inpatient stay — including disputes, errors, and financial …
Read more →Pediatric Care
Newborn Screening Tests Explained: What the Hospital Looks For
A plain-English guide to the three categories of newborn screening — blood spot, hearing, and pulse oximetry — what they look for, what positive results mean, …
Read more →Urgent Care vs ER for an Infant: How to Decide at 2 a.m.
A practical, plain-English framework for deciding when an infant needs the ER, when urgent care is appropriate, and when symptoms mean call 911 — not drive.
Read more →Choosing a Pediatrician: 12 Questions to Ask Before You Commit
A practical, parent-tested list of the 12 questions to ask before choosing your child's pediatrician — from board certification to after-hours access to red …
Read more →