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You searched for common-illnesses
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Health
Antibiotics are one of the most commonly prescribed medicines in a pediatrician’s office. While they cannot be used to treat viral infections, like the common cold, COVID-19, or the flu, they are used to treat many common bacterial infections...
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Parenting
About every 8 minutes, a child under age 6 is given the wrong dose of medication, according to an October 2014 study in the journal Pediatrics. The medication mistakes typically involved younger children taking pain or cough medication. The...
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Health
Selective IgA deficiency is a common primary immunodeficiency in which there is very little or no detectable immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the blood and body secretions (of the ears, nose, mouth, sinuses, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and...
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Health
The herb echinacea is one of the most popular alternative medicine remedies. Echinacea is reputed to help prevent common colds and make them less severe when they do hit. But is this true? And is it safe to give echinacea to your child? Used in the...
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Health
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been worrying parents of young infants for decades. This infection has long been characterized as dangerous and even deadly. It can cause severe breathing difficulty and is one of the most common causes for...
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Health
Due to recent outbreaks covered in the news media, many parents have concerns about Adenovirus. With misunderstanding comes fear, so here is what you need to know to keep you informed and your children safe. Adenoviruses are a family of viruses...
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Baby
You and your baby have settled into a breastfeeding routine when you feel the telltale aches, low-grade fever, and sore throat of a bad cold coming on. Your first instinct is to stop breastfeeding so you don’t give your baby the same cold. But do...
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Health
As useful as they are, antibiotics are not a cure-all for childhood illness. They are only effective against bacterial illnesses and have no effect on viral infections, such as the common cold or the flu. Unfortunately, widespread and inappropriate...
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Health
Laryngotracheitis, otherwise known as croup, is a common upper respiratory illness of childhood. The condition usually affects children 6 months to 3 years old. Symptoms of croup usually include: a hoarse, dry, barking cough (sometimes described as...
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Pregnancy
While the common cold is always annoying, it is even more of a bother to catch one while pregnant! Pregnant women are more susceptible to infections because of their decreased immune system, so this can make colds happen more often and last longer....
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Health
Fifth disease is one of many common childhood illnesses that typically occur in the first several years of life. Otherwise known as erythema infectiosum, fifth disease is caused by a virus known as parvovirus B19. This virus is easily spread from...
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Health
When children are young, it may feel like they are constantly ill. Infants and toddlers often have near-daily runny noses, and fevers and cold symptoms seem to come monthly. Infections of the ears (otitis media), lower respiratory tract...
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Health
RSV is short for respiratory syncytial virus. This is an extremely common virus in both children and adults. Nearly all children have had at least one experience with RSV by their second birthday, and most people continue to remain susceptible to...
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Health
Any parent would be concerned if their child suddenly developed weakness and drooping on one side of the face. Bell’s palsy is one of the most common reasons for these symptoms to develop. Bell’s palsy is a weakness that affects only one side of...
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Health
Mumps is a viral infection that most commonly affects the parotid gland, which is the major salivary gland in front of the ear. Mumps is not very common in the United States — it has decreased by about 99 percent since the MMR vaccine was first...
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Health
When your baby drinks breast milk or formula, an enzyme in their body breaks down a natural sugar in the milk called lactose. If there is an insufficient amount of this enzyme (called lactate), the intestines cannot digest it and your baby may act...
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Health
Parents may worry when they feel swollen glands in their child’s neck. It should come as a relief to know that swollen glands, or enlarged lymph nodes, are a very common and often normal finding in a child who is fighting off an infection. Lymph...
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Health
Across the US, we are knee deep in allergy season. While a bit of mild sneezing or itchy eyes might be no big deal, for some children seasonal allergies are brutal. Recognizing the difference between allergies and the common cold can be tricky, and...
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Health
Most infectious illnesses are caused by either viruses or bacteria. Both can be spread by coughing, sneezing, and contact with infected people or contaminated objects. Both bacterial and viral illnesses can cause mild or serious conditions,...
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Health
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the digestive system. Children and adults with this food intolerance are unable to eat foods containing gluten, which is a protein found in rye, wheat, and barley. In people with celiac disease,...
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Health
A serious viral infection has spread from the Midwest across the country, hospitalizing hundreds of kids and possibly infecting thousands of others. Speaking to CNN, Mark Pallansch, a virologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,...
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Health
Summer is a great time to be outside with the family, but when it comes to summer heat, there can be too much of a good thing. Heat waves—temperatures equal to or higher than the 95th percentile for a particular area and that last for at least two...
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Blog
Preparation for the coming influenza (flu) season has begun. Flu season is typically from October of this year through May of 2020, although the flu can be diagnosed year round. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control’s Advisory Committee on...
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Blog
This week, one mom is worried her daughter’s constant sickness is part of a larger immune issue. Is it cause for concern? See what our expert says. Dear Bundoo, My daughter (she’s 4) recently came down with a nasty cold that went around her...
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Health
Asthma is a chronic lung disorder that causes breathing difficulties. During an asthma attack, the air passages in the lung become inflamed and narrow, making breathing difficult. Children may cough, wheeze, or seem short of breath with an asthma...
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Health
Pneumonia, a general term for an infection in the lungs, is classified into two types: bacterial and viral. Either type occurs when bacteria or viruses found in the nose and throat infect a baby’s lungs. Infants younger than 2 weeks old typically...
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Health
Allergies are the most common chronic disease in children. If you, your spouse or your extended family have allergies, chances are good that your child will also have them. But how can you recognize if your child is suffering with an allergy or if...
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Parenting
Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa) occurs when the outer part of the ear and the canal leading to the eardrum becomes inflamed and painful. Swimmer’s ear is different from the more common ear infections that occur in the middle ear, or otitis media...
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Health
Norovirus, sometimes called the “stomach flu,” is the most common cause for viral gastroenteritis and affects people of all ages. Symptoms include stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Millions contract Norovirus each year and thousands...
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Health
Your baby’s cough isn’t getting any better. In fact, it sounds worse — wetter and full of gunk — especially at night. You begin to question, is it pneumonia? Pneumonia is an infection inside the lungs. Babies with pneumonia have difficulty...
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Blog
Summer is winding down and that means our little loves will be heading off to school for the very first time. While school can be an amazing part of a young child’s life, it also exposes them to germs in a way that significantly increases the...
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Health
As anyone with a toddler in daycare will tell you, a simple runny nose can last weeks. A slight fever can persist even in a child who appears well. And stools can remain soft and loose long after the vomiting and food refusal of an episode of acute...
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Health
Many parents have heard of children needing their tonsils and adenoids removed, but have you ever stopped to think about what your adenoids really do and where they are located? The term “adenoids” is really a misnomer — the adenoids are really one...
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Health
It’s common for new parents to worry if their baby is breathing normally. This is partly because many newborns sound stuffed up or make strange sounds when breathing, including a slight nasal whistle, seemingly labored breathing, or raspy noises....
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Health
Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disease in which a child’s own immune system attacks his or her thyroid gland. The disease interferes with the thyroid’s ability to produce thyroid hormones and often leads to reduced thyroid function, or...
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Health
Croup is a common childhood condition that causes swelling and inflammation of the upper airways, particularly the trachea and larynx. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the illness typically affects children between the ages of...
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Health
The sinuses are air-filled pockets around the nose and face that are lined with mucus membranes. When those membranes become swollen or inflamed, it can lead to sinusitis. The most common causes of sinus inflammation are colds, allergies and...
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Health
Klinefelter syndrome is a chromosomal condition that affects 1 in 500 to 1,000 newborn males. People typically have two sex chromosomes in each cell: females have two X chromosomes (XX), while males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (XY)....
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Baby
Vomiting in infants, while upsetting, is common and usually does not signal a serious illness. After all, everyone gets an upset stomach once in a while, and vomiting is a common symptom of many childhood illnesses. However, there are some cases...
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Health
Is dry, cracking, itchy skin causing your child (and you) to be downright miserable this winter season? Is the condition made worse by sub-zero arctic blasts of cold air that seem to greet you every time you walk outside? Are over-the-counter...
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Health
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is a highly contagious respiratory illness. The illness is caused by a virus and is most common during the fall and winter months. Every year, thousands of children are affected by influenza, especially...
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Health
Cold sores are small, painful blisters that appear in or around the mouth and lips. They are caused by the herpes simplex virus Type 1. These blisters (also called “fever blisters”) can also appear on or inside the nose or anywhere on the body....
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Blog
As a mom, I’d be the first one to sign up for any intervention that guaranteed my baby would sleep through the night, would be a fail-safe protection against postpartum depression, or made my child’s gut healthier. Who wouldn’t want these miracle...
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Health
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited group of disorders that affects hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body. People with this disorder have atypical hemoglobin molecules called hemoglobin...
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Health
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), formerly referred to as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, is a term used to describe chronic forms of joint inflammation in children. JIA is the most common form of arthritis in children, causing joint pain,...
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Health
Acetaminophen is a medication used to reduce fever and pain in babies, children, and adults. It comes in liquid, chewable tablets, pills, and suppository forms. The medication is dosed according to your baby’s weight, so a baby who weighs 10 pounds...
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Toddler
If you spend any amount of time searching online for health information, you will no doubt discover sites claiming that you have “hidden” food allergies or intolerances. Name your favorite chronic ailment, i.e. headaches, bloating, acne, even brain...
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Health
Protection against Haemophilus influenza type b is included in your infant’s first set of vaccines at age 2 months. Hib, as it’s better known, is a bacteria that can cause severe invasive diseases, including meningitis, blood infections, and...
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Health
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder present at birth that results in a number of physical, mental, and behavioral problems, most notably a constant sense of hunger that usually begins at about 2 years of age. PWS is the most...
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Health
There are a number of reasons your child might suffer from hearing loss, whether risk factors for hearing loss are present or not. If you suspect your child has a hearing loss, you should visit a pediatrician or hearing specialist, who can...
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Health
Fevers can be downright scary, as your baby can feel like he or she is “burning up” while acting miserable. But rest assured, most fevers in babies over 3 months of age are nothing to worry about. A fever is simply your baby’s immune system trying...
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Health
Scabies is a skin infection caused by tiny mites known as Sarcoptes scabiei. They burrow under the top layer of the skin, causing a very itchy rash. In addition to infecting children, scabies can affect people of all ages. After infection with...
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Health
Baby’s skin is naturally sensitive, so it’s only normal to worry when your little one develops eczema. But don’t panic: eczema is actually the most common chronic skin condition in children, affecting 10-20 percent of kids. Eczema—also known...
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Health
Two out of three children aged 3 and under will get at least one ear infection. An ear infection occurs when the inner ear fills with fluid because of a previous bacterial or viral infection, such as a cold. It is difficult for the fluid to drain...
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Baby
Fevers in newborns and infants less than 3 months old are a cause of concern. Most fevers are harmless, but they can also be a signal of more serious problems such as infection in the blood, urine, or spinal fluids. Fevers signal that your baby’s...
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Health
In addition to the standard set of vaccines required for school entry, parents should consider vaccinating their children against influenza, or the flu. The influenza virus circulates through the United States every year, with serious consequences....
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Health
When you have a young child, if you look away for just one second, anything can happen! She crawls or walks to a place she shouldn’t be or grabs something and puts it in her mouth, whether or not it’s actually edible. Let’s say you’re busy cooking...
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Health
Measles cases are soaring in 2019 in the United States, with hundreds of cases diagnosed across the country in the first few months of the year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this most current measles outbreak is the...
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Health
The coronavirus pandemic has caused tens of millions of people to take extraordinary measures to avoid public places and “socially distance” from one another in an attempt to avoid contracting the disease. Even with these measures, however,...
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Health
Does your baby spit up a lot? Have you ever wondered if it is normal? For most babies, spitting up occasionally is no big deal—but sometimes it can be a sign of an underlying condition that requires medical attention. Typically, when food (or milk)...
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Baby
It’s normal for young children to get colds. Sometimes, a child can have as many as 10 colds before he or she turns 2. As a parent, you will always worry when your little one gets sick, even if it is just a harmless cold. The common cold can make...
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Health
In November 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published an article discussing gastrointestinal problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of the article was to discuss how common or uncommon GI disease was in...
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Health
Most people have heard of Cystic Fibrosis (CF), but unless a friend or loved one suffers from this genetic disease, you may not be aware of its devastating effects. Because of the defective CF gene, the body produces thick mucous, causing the...
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Blog
A viral video posted on Facebook by Northern Kentucky resident Mark Hermann is causing quite a stir amongst some parents and now the police. Hermann was at the Harbor Freight hardware store in Florence, Kentucky, when he noticed a young boy secured...
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Health
Food allergies are quite common: one in 13 children under the age of 18 has at least one food allergy. However, a small subset of infants and children will have a different type of allergy that affects the gastrointestinal tract and can be severe...
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Toddler
Do you remember when eating raw eggs was the popular way for bodybuilders to get their shot of protein? It’s a good thing this “fad” isn’t much of a thing anymore: from 1985–2002, eggs were responsible for an estimated 53 percent of all Salmonella...
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Pregnancy
Many women leave their OB/GYN’s office with a list of do’s and don’ts after their first prenatal visit. One common thing pregnant women are told to avoid eating is cold cuts. But why? The main concern with cold cuts in pregnancy is that they can...
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Health
When you walk into your pediatrician’s office, you expect to see a receptionist, nurses, and of course, a couple doctors. But many pediatricians also work closely with pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs). These medical specialists are nurses who...
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Health
From 2009 to 2010, more than one million children went to the doctor for norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Norovirus is an infection that causes severe vomiting and diarrhea in people of all ages. Little...
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Health
If you’re pregnant, you’ve likely heard of toxoplasmosis and heard that you can catch it from cats. But what is toxoplasmosis, and how can it be avoided during pregnancy? Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common food-borne illnesses in the world....
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Health
Fevers in babies over six months of age are handled a little differently than fevers in younger babies. By six months, your baby’s immune system is much more developed, making it easier to fight off common illnesses. Fever, which is defined as a...
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Health
Telehealth is the ability to visit with your doctor through your phone or computer. While telehealth has been around for years in some places, its use has exploded since the coronavirus outbreak and national lockdowns. Now, nearly every doctor’s...