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How often should your child see the doctor? Not just when he or she is sick! The doctor will set up a regular checkup schedule that includes a physical exam and an assessment of your child's social, psychological, and nutritional development.
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When should your child first see a dentist? Experts at the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) say the ideal time is six months after the first tooth erupts. 10 to 24 months.Some securely attached children may experience developmental separation an...
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An emergency means you could die if you don't get care quickly. Or you could be hurt permanently (disabled). Read below to know when to use—and when not to use—an emergency room (also called ER). A hard time breathing;Severe chest pain;Choking;Sev...
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You or a loved one may have had an accident or serious illness. If so, you are likely to be worried and afraid. Knowing more about the emergency room (also called the emergency department) can help you feel less anxious.
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If having surgery makes you nervous, imagine how it can seem for a child. Long hospital corridors, intimidating equipment, and people wearing surgical masks and scrubs all seem strange and frightening, especially to a youngster who's ill or in pai...
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Your loved one has been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The ICU provides special care from a team of experts. Respiratory therapists help with breathing problems.;Physical therapists help patients improve strength and flexibility.;Dieti...
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The ICU is a busy place. There may be other patients with monitors in the same unit. Be prepared to see lots of wires, tubes, and equipment.
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Medical errors are one of the leading causes of death and injury for American adults, according to a study by the Institute of Medicine. A medical error can occur when something that was planned for medical care doesn't work, or when the wrong pla...
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If you are the parent of a young child, you may be confused about the safety of immunizations. You may have heard that vaccines cause life-threatening side effects or can lead to other diseases. Or you may have read that vaccines are not necessary...
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You may have heard the old adage: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." It is sage advice when it comes to heart disease. By teaching your kids to follow a healthy lifestyle, you can help reduce their risk for heart disease later in l...
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Baby fat is something children are supposed to outgrow, not grow in to. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), one in five children in the United States is overweight or obese. That's twice as many overweight children as 20 years a...
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Until recently, type 2 diabetes was also known as adult-onset diabetes. Now, the adult-onset prefix has been dropped because so many children are developing the condition -- the metabolic disorder that results when the body can't make enough or pr...
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Secondhand smoke threatens everyone who inhales it, especially kids. Many young children live in a house with a smoker, and the result is an increased risk for health problems. Respiratory symptoms and acute lower respiratory tract infections. In ...
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The next time you hear folks talking about their blood pressure, take a look. They may be kids. Overweight or obese;Poor nutrition, or a diet of too much high-fat or high-sodium foodwith little nutritional value;Lack of physical activity;Smoking;F...
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A vaccine can protect babies from rotavirus, the most common cause of severe diarrhea in infants. 74 percent fewer cases of rotavirus diarrhea;98 percent fewer severe cases of diarrhea;96 percent fewer hospital stays
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Parents know they have choices when their child is sick: They can treat the child at home, make a doctor's appointment, go to the emergency room or call 911. But at times, knowing which choice to make isn't always clear. The child's symptoms are c...
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Knowing when to call the doctor and when to home-treat a sick child is a common parental concern. Though you can home-treat many childhood illnesses, such as colds and simple stomachaches, having guidelines to tell you when symptoms are serious en...
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It's Monday morning, time to get moving, but instead of getting ready for school your child is complaining about a stomachache, a headache, dizziness or something similar.
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It starts with a sneeze and a runny nose. From your child's symptoms, you suspect you're dealing with a cold. You want to help your child feel better, but choosing among countless over-the-counter (OTC) cold medicines can be daunting. Liquids. Giv...
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A fever is defined as a temperature above the normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees. Most health care professionals agree that a fever by itself is not an illness, but a symptom of an underlying problem. Use a lubricating jelly to lubricate the ...
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It doesn't take long -- about 20 to 30 minutes -- for an ear, nose and throat specialist like me to remove your child's tonsils. Still, I recommend a tonsillectomy only after careful consideration. The child has a severe sore throat seven times in...
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As a parent, you are central to the decisions made about your children's health care. You are an important member of the health care team. Therefore, before your child undergoes any treatment, it is critical for you to have a full understanding of...
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When life gives you lemons, folks say, make lemonade. Confirm the diagnosis. That's often not hard with physical ailments, but with developmental or behavioral problems, "you can waste a lot of time chasing the wrong diagnosis.";Build a support te...
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If your child often has a sore throat, you may wonder whether he or she has tonsillitis, or inflamed tonsils. This is a common condition in many children. In the first few years of life, the tonsils, part of the body's lymph system, help protect t...
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Johnnie or Janie wakes complaining of a headache. Kaopectate --Kaopectate is not recommended for children younger than 12 years. Because Kaopectate contains a salicylate it should not be given to children with influenza or who are recovering from ...
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Your child has a runny nose, a cough, a sore throat, and a fever, so you go to the pediatrician. The doctor knows a virus caused this infection, which will just run its course. You're worried, so you push the doctor to give your child an antibioti...
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Dietary supplements and herbal mixtures aimed at your children may be a waste of your money -- and a threat to their health. Don't give herbal remedies or dietary supplements other than a simple child-sized multiple vitamin to your child.;Don't bu...
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Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medications you can buy for your children without a doctor's prescription. They usually come as pills, capsules or liquids, and are sold in drugstores or supermarkets. How much to give;How often to give it;What the...
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Children often complain of a "tummy ache." This is pain in the stomach or intestinal area, also called the abdomen. Abdominal pain is very common in children, and in many cases there's no serious cause. But stomach pain can sometimes point to a se...
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In most cases of amblyopia, the brain ignores signals coming from one eye. Over time, the brain gets used to working only with the other eye. The eye that's being ignored doesn't develop normal vision. Making the brain use both eyes and getting th...
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Appendicitis is an infection of the appendix. It affects 7 percent of Americans and is the most common reason for a child to need emergency abdominal surgery, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Young people between ages 11 and...
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A child's bones heal the same way as an adult's. But since a child's bones are still growing, there are a few special concerns.
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Bulimia nervosa is a disorder in which food intake gets out of control. Having this eating disorder is nothing to be ashamed of. Talk to your doctor or another person you trust. You may find it's a relief just to tell someone. Your doctor can also...
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Cellulitis is an infection of the deep layers of skin. If not treated, cellulitis can get into the bloodstream and lymph nodes and spread throughout the body, causing very serious illness. Because of this danger, it is important for a child with c...
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One minute you and your child are laughing at the dinner table. Stand behind the child. Wrap your arms around the child's waist.;Make a fist with one hand, thumb side in. Place your fist just below the chest and slightly above the navel.;Grab your...
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Choking occurs when food or a small object blocks a baby's airway. If the airway is completely blocked, oxygen can't reach the lungs, and brain damage or death can result. This is an extreme medical emergency. Knowing what to do can help save your...
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Your 14-year-old son steals money from your purse. He lies about where he's going and he's skipping school more often. You think this is normal teen behavior. But it may be conduct disorder, a condition that can be treated. If your child's actions...
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Dehydration happens when a person loses more fluids than he or she takes in. Human bodies are made up largely of water, so the right balance of fluids in our systems is needed for good health. Large amounts of fluids can be lost through fever, dia...
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Just like grownups, kids can be sad. And just like grownups, they can be depressed. Persistent sadness;Inability to enjoy or loss of interest in favorite activities;Increased activity or irritability;Frequent complaints of physical illnesses, such...
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Americans often look in the mirror and think, "I'm fat." But a growing number are children, usually pre-adolescent and adolescent girls, who aren't overweight but believe they are.
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A scaly, red, itchy, dry rash can show up in the first weeks of life. It signals a vexing but treatable skin problem called atopic dermatitis (AD), often known as eczema. The entire family should learn about AD. "Kids old enough to understand are ...
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On a cool day, your child runs up and down the soccer field joyfully kicking the ball to teammates. You notice the child coughing but aren't unduly concerned. You blame the dry, cool air or the cold the child recently had.
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Sometimes a child's eyes don't work together as they should. One eye may be "lazy" and move separately from the other (strabismus). Then the brain receives a different image from each eye. The brain may switch between the two images. Or it may tur...
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A fever is a way for the body to fight infection. But it may also be a sign of a serious illness, especially in children younger than 3 months and children who haven't been immunized. Know when to seek medical care for your child. Severe headache...
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GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. You may also hear it called "acid indigestion" or "heartburn." It happens when stomach contents flow back up (reflux) into the esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach). GERD can i...
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Headaches aren't only for adults. Kids get them, too. By the time children reach high school age, most have experienced at least one headache, according to the National Headache Foundation (NHF). A headache in a child who has had a blow to the hea...
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If your child's legs aren't completely straight, he or she may have bowlegs or knock knees. They may look familiar because, many times, the way a child's legs are shaped are similar to the way his or her parents' legs were shaped. Bowlegs and knoc...
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There's no substitute for good old-fashioned loving care. Beyond that, if a child hasn't had a fever for the past 24 hours and feels okay, he or she can return to regular activities at school and at play. The following suggestions should help your...
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Fevers are only a symptom of something else happening in the body. Your child can have a fever and not look or feel hot. So always take your child's temperature for at least 1 minute before deciding how serious a fever is. Here are some things you...
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You may have noticed your child's feet were flat when you saw his or her footprints in sand or if your child walked on a flat surface with wet feet. Arches, the curved part of the bottom of the feet, are like a bridge made of bones joined together...
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Is your child overly restless or cranky—maybe tugging on an ear or talking about his or her ears "making noises"? If so, your child may have a middle ear infection. In the early stages, these infections can be very painful. Sometimes, associated p...
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Oral thrush is a yeast infection that affects the mouth. It causes creamy white patches to form on the tongue or inner cheeks. These patches can be painful and may bleed. Babies with thrush are often fussy and may have trouble feeding. Thrush is s...
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Osgood-Schlatter disease is a painful knee problem that can occur in active young people. It almost always gets better with rest and simple treatment. But you have a role to play. A dull ache in your knee while at rest; Tenderness and swelling...
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Pertussis (also known as whooping cough) is a highly contagious infection of the respiratory tract. It spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Because pertussis can be very serious, it's important to know when to seek m...
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Ask your doctor whether your child should have a flu shot or a vaccination against pneumococcal pneumonia. Fever, chills;Cough (either dry or producing thick phlegm);Wheezing or fast breathing;Chest pain;Tiredness;Muscle pain;HeadacheBacterial pne...
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Children can endure great sorrow in their lives. For some children, the pain of certain events may be too much to bear. As a result, they may develop symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Fortunately, there is hope for children who suf...
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R.I.C.E. stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Doing these things helps limit pain and swelling after an injury. R.I.C.E. also helps injuries heal faster. Use R.I.C.E. for sprains, strains, and severe bruises or bumps. Follow the tips ...
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The elbow is a joint composed of three bones held in place by strong ligaments (bands of tissue). One ligament is looser in young children than in adults. As a result, soft tissue may become trapped between the bones in a child's elbow joint. The ...
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Rotavirus is a germ that infects the small intestines. Rotavirus infection often occurs in the winter months. It is very common, and is the leading cause of diarrhea in children. It is also very contagious. Only a few tiny germs are needed to pass...
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Scoliosis is a problem that makes the spine curve and twist from side to side. It is most often found in girls in their early teens. But boys can have it, too. No one is sure what causes scoliosis. But we do know that scoliosis is not caused by th...
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Having scoliosis means that your spine (backbone) curves and twist from side to side instead of growing straight. Your doctor will suggest the best treatment for you based on your age, how much more you are likely to grow, and the size and type of...
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Children with epilepsy may have seizures only once in a while, or they may have them every day. And though seizures can be scary for parents and caregivers, they aren't painful and are usually brief. Stay calm.;Make sure the child is breathing.;Ro...
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Children's eyes change rapidly, and problems can occur at any age. It's important to observe your child's eyes and to pay attention to how your child acts and what he or she says. Eyes that cross or one eye that turns in, out, up, or down; One ey...
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Strabismus and amblyopia are two common vision problems in children. If not treated, these problems can permanently affect your child's sight. Your child won't outgrow strabismus or amblyopia. But both can be treated. Early eye exams and the right...
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When your child has strabismus, the eyes aren`t aligned. One eye may turn in, out, up, or down while the other looks straight ahead. When the eyes aren`t aligned, pictures sent to the brain are too different to be fused into one image. If strabism...
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Most sore throats are caused by viruses. These are often mild and go away in a few days. But strep throat is more serious. It's a throat infection caused by bacteria. Strep throat mainly affects children between 6 and 12 years of age, but can affe...
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Young children often put small objects, such as marbles, pins, or coins, in their mouths. These objects may then be swallowed. Although this can be frightening, it's not always cause for concern. Most often, the object will pass through your child...
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Your acne treatment will work best if you follow your treatment plan. Acne often takes months to improve, so you will need to be patient. Ask your doctor when you can expect your skin to look better. If your skin does not improve by your goal date...
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Acne is a skin condition that causes blemishes on the face, back, chest, or upper arms. Having acne can be very upsetting. You may feel less attractive. And it may seem as though your skin will never clear up. In time, your acne may go away by its...
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Finding out that your child has diabetes can be frightening. All the things you need to know may seem overwhelming. But you don't have to learn it all right away. You and your child can learn together. An endocrinologist (doctor who treats people ...
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Type 2 diabetes is a chronic (lifelong) condition. The good news is that diabetes can be managed. Your child's healthcare team is there to help. Monitor blood sugar. Your healthcare provider will show you how to check your child's blood sugar usin...
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During the development of a fetus, the testicles (male sex organs) form near the kidneys. As the fetus grows, the testicles descend (move down) into the scrotum. Normally, they're in the scrotum before the baby is born. An undescended testicle doe...
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Viral gastroenteritis is often called "stomach flu." But it is not really related to the flu or influenza. It is irritation of the stomach and intestines due to infection with a virus. Most children with viral gastroenteritis get better in a few d...
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Meningitis is an infection of the membrane and fluid around the brain and spinal cord. Viral meningitis is caused by a viral infection. It often starts as another illness, such as stomach flu. Most cases of viral meningitis occur in children under...
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Viral respiratory illnesses include colds, flu, and RSV. Treatment will focus on relieving your child's symptoms and ensuring that the infection does not get worse. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses. Always consult with a doctor if you...
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Most jaundice in newborn babies is normal. It goes away in a few days without treatment and is not serious. Once this type of jaundice goes away, it will not come back. Doctors should perform a systematic assessment on all infants, prior to discha...
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