Parents often wish their children came with an owner's manual. Writing those instructions would be too complicated, but when it comes to childhood illnesses, there are more resources available now than ever before to help inform parents in their decision making.

Is it viral or bacterial? Common illnesses that stem from a virus get better on their own, although they may make kids feel miserable. But illnesses caused by bacteria generally require a visit with the doctor and a course of antibiotics.

And it's difficult for parents to know the difference without seeing the doctor.

Doctors face huge difficulty coming up with clear-cut guidelines to help parents make that decision.

Naturally, the parent's first and most important resource is the family's health-care provider. But trying to decide what warrants medical attention and when is often a difficult task.

"If a parent is truly worried, they need to at least call the doctor," said Bonnie Midget, spokeswoman for Primary Children's Medical Center. "But the more education the parent has, the more information they have access to, the better decision they can make."

According to the Mayo Clinic, the top five infectious illnesses that keep children out of school are colds, gastroenteritis, ear infections, pink eye and sore throats.

Most medical clinics have staff available to take calls and answer questions related to these illnesses and other common complaints. But some have made information available online, as well.

KidsHealth, which can be accessed at www.primarychildrens.org, is a comprehensive site that offers links to dozens of topics from the common cold and ear infection to emotional and behavioral issues.

Each section includes information about an illness, what causes it and how long it might last. The sections also include details about what a parent might expect for diagnosis and treatment and specific guidelines about when to call the doctor.

For example, for a child with a sore throat, the site says: Not all sore throats are strep throats. Most episodes of sore throat — which can be accompanied by a runny nose, cough, hoarseness and red eyes — are caused by viruses and usually clear up on their own without medical treatment. A child with strep throat will start to develop other symptoms within about three days, such as:

• red and white patches in the throat

• difficulty swallowing

• tender or swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the neck