In recent months we have had very different experiences of parents using blogs. One family used a blog simply to update family and friends overseas about their extremely premature baby. It contained a daily record of events, including details of procedures and the names of staff looking after their baby. In another blog the parents of a baby with rare congenital abnormalities used it to keep detailed records of medical care and decisions, including discussions and disagreements with different medical and nursing staff. Both blogs initially caused some concern among staff.

The phenomenon of parents' blogs may have a unique association with paediatric and neonatal practice. It is common practice for parents to take photographs of their babies to log their progress. Electronic dissemination makes sharing these experiences easier, and for many the blog is simply the modern …