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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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Health
For most children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, the symptoms typically appear early in life. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates symptoms usually first appear between 3-6 years old. However, because there is...
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Health
Your child ate a handful of cashews at the neighbor’s party and now has blotchy cheeks and swollen lips. Another child drinks milk and has a blow-out bowel movement. In situations like this, it’s natural to wonder if your child has a food allergy....
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Health
Food poisoning can be an uncomfortable and prolonged discomfort for adults, but in an infant or child, food poisoning can be a serious condition. Food poisoning typically occurs when an infant or child consumes a food or drink that is contaminated...
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Pregnancy
The baby blues and postpartum depression (PPD) are conditions most parents-to-be and new parents have heard about. This is good, considering that 50 to 85 percent of women experience some form of the baby blues and about 15 percent going on to...
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Pregnancy
A few recalls have made headlines over concerns of fruit contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. This bacterium can cause the infection listeriosis, which can have serious effects in a pregnant woman. If a pregnant woman consumed a...
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Health
Snoring is not an unusual symptom in children. As many as 10 percent of all kids snore on a nightly basis, according to the National Sleep Foundation. But when snoring accompanies symptoms such as gasping for air, very loud snoring or taking short...
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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
Reye’s syndrome is a rare but serious disorder that can result in the death of a child if it’s not recognized and treated early. Though the exact cause is unknown, Reye’s syndrome often occurs in children and teens who have taken aspirin to help...
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Health
Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a rare disorder that affects the brain and nervous system. It is cause by an abnormal gene that can be passed down from parent to child. While it is present from birth, most people with the disease don’t start having...
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Pregnancy
While the second trimester probably left you energized and nausea-free, for many women, the last trimester can herald the return of a few unwanted pregnancy symptoms. Some women experience all of these, while others only notice one or two. And if...
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Health
Muscular dystrophy is a group of diseases in which the muscles of the body are slowly broken down over time due to a faulty gene. The muscles become weak as the disease progresses, so mild muscle weakness slowly evolves to include even the muscles...
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Pregnancy
As soon as some women have a positive pregnancy test, they experience every symptom in the book. Others don’t feel a single twinge and wonder if something is wrong. Here’s a breakdown of what can be normal to experience, but remember: not having...
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Health
Children are notoriously prone to accidents, whether it is the 12-month-old wobbly walker or the 3-year-old who falls off a tricycle. Watching your little one tumble to the ground and hit their head with a loud “thud” is frightening,...
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Health
Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) is a seizure disorder that is classified as a form of epilepsy. About 25-30 percent of children who have LKS do not experience overt or obvious seizure symptoms, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing...
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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
Sore throats are one of the most common complaints seen in a pediatric office, but did you know your doctor cannot simply look in your child’s mouth and tell whether the sore throat is caused by a virus or a bacteria? In fact, a recent study...
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Health
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common brain disorder that causes difficulty with focus, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) estimates that between 4-12 percent of school-aged children...
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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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Baby
While major congenital heart defects are sometimes diagnosed before birth through imaging studies like a fetal ultrasound, in most cases, doctors only diagnose a congenital defect after the newborn or infant begins to develop symptoms. In many...
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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
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
Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare disorder that can affect children and adults of all ages. Its onset can be scary, with muscle weakness and pain that occasionally progresses to paralysis of the legs, chest, and/or face. Children with these...
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Pregnancy
During your first trimester of pregnancy, your hormones might seem like they’re out of control. Levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), estrogen, and progesterone are rising, which can sometimes lead to increased nausea and morning sickness....
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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
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
Of all the things that can potentially harm your children, lead is not likely to be near the top of your worry list. But did you know that there are at least 4 million households in the United States where children are being exposed to dangerously...
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Health
Medical marijuana, like any other medication, presents a safety risk to children who ingest it accidentally. But medical marijuana poses some unique risks: Access to medical marijuana is relatively new and therefore so are accidental poisonings....
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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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Pregnancy
About 11-27 percent of pregnant women will experience restless leg syndrome (RLS) at some point. Unfortunately, many women will notice these symptoms in the third trimester, which can be uncomfortable enough as it is! Women who’ve had RLS when they...
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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
Despite measures to eliminate lead from the environment, babies and young children continue to be exposed to this toxic material. This puts children at risk for potential serious and lifelong complications. Exposure to lead can cause serious damage...
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Pregnancy
Many women report uncomfortable and unpleasant first trimester symptoms, so it can be a wonderful relief to enter the second trimester and realize that many of the worst symptoms are fading. Oftentimes, women in the second trimester report feeling...
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Parenting
Morning sickness, cramps, back pain, hunger pangs, weight gain—all normal symptoms when you’re pregnant. But what if your husband or male partner is suffering those same signs right along with you? This is called Couvade Syndrome, which comes from...
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Health
Before a diagnosis of ADHD can be made, doctors and mental health professionals must gather information through various screening tools. The screening process can involve clinical interviews, observations from teachers and parents, psychological...
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Pregnancy
Your thyroid gland—a butterfly shaped organ located in the front of your neck—produces thyroid hormones that help regulate your metabolism. Too much or too little thyroid hormone can cause problems with your metabolism. While this can cause issues...
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Health
Gas is a natural part of life for all people—but many babies seem to have more than their fair share. This is because babies swallow a lot air when crying, sucking on a pacifier, and eating. Their digestive tract also releases gas when breaking...
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Baby
Doctors often diagnose congenital heart defects in the womb or during infancy, when symptoms, the mother’s medical history, or routine tests or physical exams reveal the abnormalities. But not all congenital heart defects are diagnosed so early....
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Health
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that requires immediate medical treatment before it turns life-threatening. It happens when your child’s immune system reacts to an allergen. Some allergic reactions can be mild, resulting in itchy hives....
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Health
As many as 7 million children under the age of 18 have asthma, and there’s no doubt asthma attacks are scary for both you and your child. Children with asthma suffer from inflammation of the airway lining, tightening of the airway muscles, and...
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Health
Meningitis, or inflammation of the protective membrane that surrounds the brain or spinal cord, ranges in severity from mild to a life-threatening emergency. Because of this wide range, it’s important to recognize the early symptoms of...
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Pregnancy
While most people are familiar with stories of women showing up to the emergency room with abdominal pain who unknowingly are pregnant and give birth moments later, fewer have heard of the phenomenon known as pseudocyesis. This word originated from...
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Pregnancy
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Pregnancy
Postpartum thyroiditis is a condition that results in inflammation of the thyroid gland after giving birth. The condition first causes high thyroid levels, then results in hypothyroidism or low thyroid levels. Knowing the symptoms of postpartum...
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Health
“My tummy hurts.” What parent hasn’t heard this complaint from their child from time to time? It can be difficult to know when it is just a stomachache and when you should seek out medical care for your child. Look for some of these symptoms that...
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Health
Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are fairly common, affecting about 3 percent of children in the US each year. They are more common in girls, who have about an 8 percent risk of contracting a UTI, compared to a 2 percent risk in boys. In most...
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Pregnancy
Heading into Week 5, it might seem like not much is happening outwardly—your baby is still too small to create the “bump,” so you aren’t showing. But while you might be very aware of your own symptoms, most people who see you will have no idea...
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Health
Sepsis is a very dangerous medical condition that results from infection, usually by a bacteria, but a virus or fungus can also be a cause. Sepsis occurs when the infectious agent spreads from its initial area of infection into the bloodstream....
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Health
Kawasaki disease (KD) is a disease characterized by fever, rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and involvement of the eyes and lips that most commonly occurs in children under age 5. If left untreated, this serious disease can lead to inflammation of the...
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Health
The term “osteo” typically refers to conditions affecting the bones. This is true for osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer that impacts children. This cancer type is the sixth most common cancer in children and typically impacts boys more than girls...
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Health
Just as autism has begun to be better understood, the American Psychiatric Association has recently changed the diagnosis of autism, leaving many parents confused about how the new diagnosis works and how it will affect their family. Here are some...
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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
Hepatitis is often thought of as an adult disease; however, children can suffer from hepatitis, too. Hepatitis is the word medical professionals use to describe inflammation and injury to the liver. In adults, hepatitis is often caused by risky...
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Health
Known more commonly as a “stomach bug” or “stomach flu,” acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a common cause of childhood misery. Children suffering from AGE typically have some combination of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low-grade fever, and stomach...
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Health
Hypotonia, sometimes referred to as floppy infant syndrome, is a condition characterized by the loss of muscle tone. Instead of the normal resistance you would feel when pressing on a muscle, the muscles of children with hypotonia feel soft and...
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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
Children can be rowdy, jumping and running and climbing with boundless energy. So it is no wonder they get hurt a lot and spend a fair amount of time covered in scrapes and bruises. But do you know how to recognize when the injury is just a minor...
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Pregnancy
From the moment you get the big news you are pregnant, you spend time preparing yourself mentally and physically for “labor day.” While this big event will come in good time, be aware there may be a few false starts before the actual day arrives....
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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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Health
When your child gets a cold, it is often nothing more than a bother for a few days. But if your child begins to wheeze, you may become concerned that something more serious is going on. There’s a chance your child has developed bronchiolitis....
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Health
Many parents are surprised to hear that young children can suffer from appendicitis. The appendix is a small finger-like tube attached to the large intestine in the lower right side of the abdomen. If the opening to the appendix becomes blocked,...
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Health
The human ear is composed of three parts: the outer ear (the fleshy part that sticks out from your head, as well as the ear canal); the middle ear (the eardrum, the three small bones that convey sound, and the eustachian tubes that run to the back...
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Health
The thought that your child may have autism can cause apprehension in any parent, especially since current research shows that autism is on the rise. Parents are often the first to sense a problem with their child’s development, so it’s important...
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Baby
Red blood cells (RBCs) share a similar mission in adults and children: to carry oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. However, a newborn baby’s RBCs have a shorter lifespan than an adult’s, which can contribute to anemia. Anemia is a condition...
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Baby
A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a congenital heart defect that occurs during fetal development. Babies born with a VSD have a hole in the septum (wall) that separates the heart’s lower chambers, or the right and left ventricles. An intact...
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Health
Muscular dystrophy can be a devastating diagnosis for children and their parents. The progressive muscle condition causes long-term changes in a child’s functioning, which can leave him or her wheelchair-bound. Diagnosis Parents may notice a child...
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Health
While kidney stones were previously considered an adult issue, the number of pediatric patients with these painful stones is increasing, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Kidney stones are collections of hard minerals that build...
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Pregnancy
Prescription painkillers are a class of drugs that are used to treat pain. Among the most popular prescription painkillers is the group of medications known as opioids. Common opioids include morphine, oxycodone, and codeine, among others. These...
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Pregnancy
Getting pregnant doesn’t stop your allergies — but it does change your options when it comes to what you can do or use to get some relief. The first step when you are feeling your allergies act up is to make sure your healthcare provider is aware...
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Health
A common cold in an infant can be worrisome enough, but when your baby starts wheezing, even the most experienced parent can have serious concerns. However, up to 50 percent of infants will have an episode of wheezing before their first birthday....
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Health
Outbreaks of diarrhea are extremely common among kids who spend time in childcare settings, but many parents don’t realize that these outbreaks are often caused by a parasite. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Giardia...
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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
Tetanus, often called “lockjaw,” is caused by a specific bacterium (called Clostridium tetani) usually found as spores in soil, dust, and manure. These spores can enter the body through a break in the skin, most commonly through a cut or puncture...
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Pregnancy
With approximately 26 percent of American teens and young adults infected with genital herpes, herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. That means 1 in 4 pregnant women may potentially carry the virus, and since it can...
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Pregnancy
Food poisoning occurs when people eat or drink harmful microorganisms (bacteria, parasites, viruses), usually in contaminated food or drinking water. Food poisoning is especially important to avoid during pregnancy because the immune system is...
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Health
Every so often, an illness outbreak peaks in the United States, raising red flags with health officials. Inevitably, the ensuing coverage of the illness ignites fear and panic in the hearts of parents everywhere. Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a...
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Baby
As soon as your newborn starts feeding, he or she will start making gas. Experts estimate that a normal baby could pass gas up to 20 times a day. Gas is formed as a natural byproduct of digestion and may also result from inhaling air while feeding,...
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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
Helicobacter pylori is a common bacteria found in the stomachs of many children. In fact, some studies suggest that up to 50 percent of the world’s population carries this bacteria. In the industrialized world, however, the incidence is much lower....
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Health
While most people are familiar with stories of women showing up to the Emergency Room with abdominal pain who unknowingly are pregnant and give birth moments later, fewer have heard of the phenomenon known as pseudocyesis. This word is of Greek...
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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
Roseola is a viral infection that can affect children by the time they turn 2 years old. Roseola is caused by infection with the herpes virus 6 or, less commonly, the herpes virus 7. Like other viral illnesses, Roseola spreads through contact with...
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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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Baby
Gas is very normal and expected for babies, whether they are nursing or bottle-feeding. It can vary from mild to intense and from uncomfortable to unbearable. Babies pass gas through their mouths and through their anuses many times each day. You...
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Health
One of the most common causes of increased urination frequency in children is a urinary tract infection (UTI). This type of illness may also be associated with fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, flank or back pain, abdominal pain, and painful...
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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 tubes in the child’s ears fill with fluid because of a previous bacterial or viral infection, such as a cold. It is difficult for...
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Health
A straight, aligned spine means a child can breathe better and experiences less back pain and discomfort. However, some children experience scoliosis, a word that derives from the Greek word for “crooked.” A scoliosis diagnosis means a child has...
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Health
Tonsils are oval-shaped tissue located on both sides of the throat. They are made up of lymphatic tissue, which is responsible for helping the body to fight infection. The size of tonsils can vary from person to person. However, they can become...
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Health
Parents want to know if their child can be around a friend or classmate who has recently been diagnosed with an ear infection. What causes an ear infection? Ear infections occur when fluid builds up in the middle ear, behind the ear drum. When a...
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Health
Childhood tuberculosis accounts for 6 to 10 percent of all cases of TB worldwide. In fact, up to 80,000 children worldwide die from this bacterial disease. In the United States, the numbers are much lower, but pediatric TB does exist. So what is...