Enterprising Parent Designs Warning Togs for Tots

In the spring of 2005, Ria Sharon (right) had the kind of experience every parent dreads: "My son was 13 months old. He had an anaphylactic reaction to a biscuit with almonds. He threw up immediately and as we changed him out of his clothes, we noticed that massive hives had developed all over his body. We had to put him in a footed sleeper with two pairs of socks on his hands just so he wouldn't hurt himself scratching.

"I still remember feeling incredibly helpless and even more so when we received the official diagnosis from the allergist... there was scientific data that confirmed there was stuff out there that could kill my baby and there was no treatment other than strict avoidance. As soon as we got home from the ER, I was thinking of ways to protect him."

One of those ways was to design a shirt with a label inside the back that could be customized with a child's allergy risks and precautions. Another was to start a Web site with information on food allergies so that the people who met her son would know how seriously to consider his condition. Check My Tag, Sharon's online business and resource site, is the subject of my latest profile of Enterprising Parents. Read more about her business, and think about how you might translate your own solutions to your kids' problems into an entrepreneurial opportunity.

Do you have an online business related to your child's special needs? Tell us about it in the comments.

_{Photo courtesy of Ria Sharon}