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Health Library A to Z

C

  • Baby's Care After a Cesarean Delivery
    • Because babies born by cesarean may have difficulty clearing some of the lung fluid and mucus, extra suctioning of the nose, mouth, and throat are often needed.

  • Behavior Changes
    • Your baby's activity level, appetite, and cries normally vary from day to day, and even hour to hour. But a distinct change in any of these areas may signal illness.

  • Beta Thalassemia in Children
    • Beta thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder. This means it is passed down through the parent’s genes. It is a form of anemia. Anemia is a low red blood cell or low hemoglobin level. Hemoglobin is part of red blood cells. It carries oxygen to organs, tissues, and cells. Beta thalassemia affects the production of hemoglobin.

  • Birth Defects in Children
    • A birth defect is a health problem or abnormal physical change that is present when a baby is born. Birth defects can be very mild, where the baby looks and acts like any other baby. Or birth defects can be more severe. Read on to learn more.

  • Blocked Tear Duct (Dacryostenosis) in Children
    • In some children, the openings into the tear duct don’t form the right way. This causes a blockage. The tears have no place to drain. Learn more about how this condition can affect your child, and how it's treated.

  • Cancer Treatment for Children
    • The specific treatment for your child's cancer will be determined by your child's healthcare provider, based on a variety of factors, including the type of cancer and the extent of the disease.

  • Candidiasis in Children
    • Candidiasis is an infection caused by yeast called Candida. Candida normally causes no harm, and is found on the skin, vaginal area, and digestive system. But in some cases, it can overgrow. This can cause a rash, itching, and other symptoms.

  • Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Children
    • Carbon monoxide poisoning is an illness that occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) gas. It's a medical emergency and needs treatment right away.

  • Cardiac Catheterization for Children
    • Cardiac catheterization is a procedure in which a long, flexible tube (catheter) is put into a blood vessel. The doctor then guides the catheter into the heart to find and treat heart problems.

  • Cardiomyopathy and Your Child
    • Cardiomyopathy is any disease of the heart muscle in which the heart loses its ability to pump blood effectively.

  • Care of the Baby in the Delivery Room
    • A newborn baby is wet from the amniotic fluid and can easily become cold. Drying the baby and using warm blankets and heat lamps can help prevent heat loss. Often a knitted hat is placed on the baby's head.

  • Caring for Newborn Multiples
    • Because many multiples are small and born early, they may be initially cared for in a special care nursery called the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

  • Cast Types and Maintenance Instructions
    • The outside of a cast can be made of plaster or fiberglass. Cotton and synthetic materials line the inside of the cast to make it soft and to provide padding around bony areas, such as the wrist or elbow.

  • Cat Scratch Disease in Children
    • Cat scratch disease is a bacterial infection carried in cat saliva. It is passed from a cat bite or scratch to a human. It can also result from a fleabite, but cats are the main source.

  • Cataracts in Children
    • A cataract is a clouding over the lens of the eye. This area is normally clear (transparent). Some cataracts are small and don’t cause any trouble with vision. Others can cause visual problems in children. Cataracts are rare in children.

  • Causes of Cancer
    • There is no one cause for cancer. Scientists believe that it is the interaction of many factors—genetic or environmental.

  • Cellulitis in Children
    • Cellulitis is a spreading skin infection. It may affect the upper skin layer. Or it may affect the deeper skin and layer of fat under the skin. When cellulitis affects the upper skin layer, it may be called erysipelas. This type of infection is more common in children.

  • Cellulitis of the Eye in Children
    • Cellulitis is a serious type of infection and inflammation. It can occur in various parts of the body. When it occurs in the eyelid and tissues in the front part of the eye area, it’s called preseptal cellulitis. When it occurs behind and around the eye in the eye socket (orbit), it’s called orbital cellulitis. Both of these conditions are serious.

  • Cerebral Palsy in Children
    • Cerebral palsy (CP) is a lifelong condition that affects how the brain and muscles communicate. CP affects body movement, muscle control, coordination, reflexes, posture, and balance.

  • Chalazion in Children
    • A chalazion is a slow-growing, painless lump in the eyelid that forms because of the swelling of an oil gland. It’s more common in adults between ages 30 and 50 than in children.

  • Cheerleading Safety
    • A safe cheerleading program has direct adult supervision, proper conditioning, skills training, and warm-up exercises.

  • Chemical Burns
    • Chemical burns can occur when strong acids or alkalis come in contact with the skin or the eyes.

  • Chemotherapy for Children
    • Chemotherapy is the use of medicines to treat cancer or kill cancer cells. Read on to learn more about what to expect when your child needs this treatment.

  • Chemotherapy-Related Hair Loss (Alopecia) in Children
    • Hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy. It can affect the hair on the head, and also the eyebrows, eyelashes, and facial and pubic hair. Not all chemotherapy causes hair loss. And not all children lose hair in the same way.

  • Chemotherapy-Related Mouth Mucositis in Children
    • Chemotherapy is the use of medicines to treat cancer. The medicines can cause an inflammation of the lining of the mouth. The mouth is lined with mucous membranes. When these are inflamed, it’s called mouth mucositis.

  • Chickenpox (Varicella) and Pregnancy
    • Did you have chickenpox or get the vaccine as a child? Then you've got nothing to worry about from varicella. But if you didn't, you may not be immune to this infectious disease that can cause complications for a pregnant person and their baby. Read more to find out why, and how to protect yourself.

  • Child Health Emergencies
    • A good guideline to follow is that a medical emergency is any time your child has an injury or illness you believe threatens their health or may cause permanent harm.

  • Childhood Immunizations
    • Your little one will need several immunization shots to help protect them from several childhood diseases, some of which can be deadly. Read on for helpful advice on which shots they need and when--and what to do if they have a minor reaction.

  • Childproof Your Home for Poisons
    • Always remember that ordinary products you use each day around the home can become dangerous poisons in the hands of a child. Here's what you should know.

  • Circumcision for Children
    • Circumcision is a surgery to remove the skin covering the end of the penis. This is called the foreskin. This surgery is most often done 1 or 2 days after a baby's birth. Read on to learn more about this procedure.

  • Classification of Burns
    • Burns are classified as first-, second-, or third-degree, depending on how deep and severe they penetrate the skin's surface.

  • Cleft Lip and Palate in Children
    • Cleft lip and palate are openings or splits in the upper lip or roof of the mouth (palate). A child can be born with a cleft lip, cleft palate, or both. Cleft lip and palate may be the only birth defects, or they may happen with other defects.

  • Clubfoot in Children
    • Clubfoot is a deformity of the foot. It's when one or both feet are turned inward. The condition affects the bones, muscles, tendons, and blood vessels. Read on to learn more about this condition.

  • Coarctation of the Aorta (COA) in Children
    • Coarctation of the aorta is a heart defect that's present at birth (congenital). It means the aorta is narrower than it should be. Read on to learn details about the condition.

  • Cognitive Development in Adolescence
    • Cognitive development means the growth of a child's ability to think and reason. This growth happens differently from ages 6 to 12, and ages 12 to 18.

  • Colic
    • Colic is when a healthy baby cries for a very long time for no obvious reason. It is a common problem that affects some babies during the first 6 weeks of life.

  • Common Cold in Children
    • The common cold is one of the most common illnesses in children. Most children will have at least 6 to 8 colds a year.

  • Common Procedures
    • Detailed information on the most common procedures performed on newborns

  • Common Skin Disorders in Children
    • Detailed information on common skin disorders, including Bacterial Skin Infections, Fungal Skin Infections, Viral Skin Infections, Viral Exanthems (Rashes), and Parasitic Skin Infections

  • Common Types of Pediatric Arthritis and Other Rheumatic Diseases
    • Detailed information on the most common types of pediatric arthritis and other rheumatic diseases, including Juvenile Dermatomyositis, Fibromyalgia, Juvenile Ankylosing Spondylitis, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Rheumatic Fever, Scleroderma, Septic Arthritis, Infectious Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Lupus, Vasculitis, Kawasaki Disease, and Henoch-Schönlein Purpura

  • Communication Disorders in Children
    • A child with a communication disorder has trouble communicating with others. They may not understand or make the sounds of speech. The child may also struggle with word choice, word order, or sentence structure.

  • Conduct Disorder in Children
    • Conduct disorder is a type of behavior disorder. It’s when a child has antisocial behavior. They may disregard basic social standards and rules.

  • Congenital Heart Disease
    • Heart problems are the most common kind of birth defects. While children with some heart defects can be monitored by a doctor and treated with medicine, others will need to have surgery.

  • Congenital Heart Disease Index
    • Detailed information on congenital heart disease, including patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, atrioventricular canal, tricuspid atresia, pulmonary atresia, transposition of the great arteries, tetralogy of Fallot, double outlet right ventricle, truncus arteriosus, coarctation of the aorta, aortic stenosis, and hypoplastic left heart syndrome

  • Congenital Hypothyroidism in Children
    • Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. Congenital hypothyroidism is when the disorder is present in a baby at birth. If not treated, it can lead to serious health problems.

  • Congenital Laryngeal Stridor in Babies
    • Congenital laryngeal stridor is a noisy or high-pitched sound with breathing. It is from an abnormally formed voice box (larynx). It is present at birth (congenital).

  • Congenital Muscular Torticollis
    • Congenital torticollis means that a baby is born with an odd position of the neck. The odd position is because of a tight, short neck muscle. It affects the right side more often than the left side. It may range from mild to severe. The condition is sometimes called wryneck.

  • Conjunctivitis in Children
    • Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye. The conjunctiva is the membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids and covers the eyeball. Conjunctivitis is also known as “pink eye.”

  • Constipation in Children
    • Constipation is when a child has very hard stools and has fewer bowel movements than normal. It is a very common gastrointestinal (GI) problem.

  • Contact Dermatitis in Children
    • Contact dermatitis is a skin reaction from contact with certain substances. Read on to learn about its causes, symptoms, and treatment.

  • Contact Lens Safety Tips
    • If you wear contact lenses, it's important to follow your eye care provider's directions on wearing and disinfecting them.

  • Coping Emotionally After a Burn
    • Your child's burn care and emotional recovery will continue when you leave the hospital. Along with the excitement, you and your child may also feel uneasy about what will happen next.

  • Corneal Abrasions in Children
    • A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the cornea. This is the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye. Learn details about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

  • Cough Medicine Abuse by Teens
    • DXM is a common ingredient in many cough and cold remedies. It's also become a popular substance to abuse by teens searching for a cheap, easy high. Here's what you should know.

  • Cradle Cap
    • Cradle cap (infant seborrheic dermatitis) is scaly patches on a baby's scalp. Cradle cap isn’t serious, but it can cause thick crusting and white or yellow scales. Some babies can also have seborrheic dermatitis in the diaper area, and on the face, neck, and trunk. Cradle cap usually clears up within the first year.

  • Craniosynostosis
    • Craniosynostosis is a condition where one or more of the bones of the skull close too early. This can cause problems with normal brain and skull growth.

  • Crohn's Disease in Children
    • Crohn's disease is when there is redness, swelling (inflammation), and sores along the digestive tract. It is part of a group of diseases known as inflammatory bowel disease.

  • Croup in Children
    • Croup is a common infection in children. It causes swelling in the upper part of the airway in the neck. It causes a barking cough, with or without fever. And it may cause problems breathing.

  • Crutch Walking
    • Step-by-step tips to help your child learn to use crutches, including going up and down stairs, sitting and standing up, and more.

  • Cytomegalovirus (CMV) in Newborns
    • CMV (cytomegalovirus) is a herpes virus. It is very common. It affects people of all ages and in all parts of the U.S. In most cases, CMV causes mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all. But it can cause serious problems in an unborn baby or newborn.

  • Diarrhea in Children
    • Diarrhea is a common problem. It may last 1 or 2 days and go away on its own. If diarrhea lasts more than 2 days, your child may have a more serious problem. Read on to learn more.

  • Exercise and Children
    • Exercise is an important part of keeping children healthy. Encouraging healthy lifestyles in children and teens is important for when they grow older.

  • Feeding A Child Who Has Cystic Fibrosis
    • Children with cystic fibrosis often have poor weight gain. This can happen even when they get enough calories. Read on for details on how to make sure your child gets enough nutrients--and what to do if your child isn't gaining weight.

  • General Principles of Discipline
    • Most children need to be given consistent, clear rules and expectations about behavior. Discipline needs to begin as soon as the child is mobile—pulling up and crawling.

  • Healthy Sleep Habits in Children
    • The normal amount of sleep varies depending on the age of your child. Read on for helpful tips to create healthy sleep habits, plus a chart of normal day and night sleep times by age.

  • Hirschsprung Disease in Children
    • Hirschsprung disease is a rare birth defect. It affects the nerve cells in the large intestine. These nerve cells control the muscles that move food and waste, or stool, through the large intestine. The large intestine is the last part of the digestive tract.

  • Lung Transplantation in Children
    • A detailed look at lung transplantation in children, including why it is advised, information about the surgery, and the long-term outlook for a child after a lung transplant.

  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for Children
    • MRI is a procedure that uses a large magnet, radio waves, and a computer to create detailed images of organs and tissues in the body. It’s used to diagnose problems in many areas of the body.

  • Major Depression in Teens
    • Major depression goes beyond the day's normal ups and downs. It involves a teen's body, mood, and thoughts. It can affect and disrupt eating, sleeping, or thinking patterns.

  • Medical Genetics: Chromosome Studies
    • When a chromosome is abnormal, it can cause health problems in the body. Tests called studies can look at chromosomes to see what type of problem a person has.

  • Newborn Crying
    • Crying is the way babies communicate. They cry because of hunger, discomfort, frustration, tiredness, and even loneliness.

  • Normal Growth
    • A child's growth not only involves the length and weight of his or her body, but also internal growth and development.

  • Overview of Craniofacial Anomalies
    • Detailed information on craniofacial anomalies, including cleft lip, cleft palate, craniosynostosis, hemifacial microsomia, vascular malformation, hemangioma, and deformational plagiocephaly.

  • Pain Management for Children with Cancer
    • When a child has cancer or another pain-causing disease, one of their greatest fears is pain. Every effort should be made to ease the pain during the treatment process.

  • Preventing Falls
    • Falls are the most common cause of injury visits to the emergency room for young children. Falls cause more open wounds, fractures, and brain injuries than any other cause. Read on to learn about safety steps you can take to prevent a fall for your child.

  • Prevention of Heart Disease Starts in Childhood
    • You may think of heart disease as a problem for adults, not your young children. But diet and exercise habits started in childhood can begin a lifetime of heart health, or a lifetime of heart damage.

  • Skin Color Changes
    • The color of a baby's skin can often help identify possible problems in another area of the body. Here are some skin color changes to be aware of.

  • Small Cuts and Scrapes
    • Wash the cut area well with soap and water, but do not scrub the wound. A dirty cut or scrape that is not thoroughly cleaned can cause scarring.

  • Snakebites in Children
    • Both venomous and nonvenomous snakes can bite. It's important to treat all snakebites as if they are venomous. Here's what you need to know.

  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
    • Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger than 1 year old. SIDS is sometimes called crib death because the death may happen when a baby is sleeping in a crib. It’s one of the leading causes of death in babies from ages 1 month to 1 year. Read on to learn more. 

  • Temper Tantrums
    • These fits of rage—the stomping, screaming, and falling on the floor—are a normal part of childhood development. Temper tantrums often occur only with a parent. They are a way for the child to communicate his or her feelings.

  • The Dangers of Binge Drinking
    • On college campuses across the U.S., many students ages 18 to 24 are taking part in a dangerous activity called binge drinking. This means drinking alcohol to the point of getting drunk. Read on to learn more about the risks.

  • Thumb Sucking
    • Thumbsucking is normal in infants and young children. It shouldn't cause any permanent problems if your child stops by age 5.

  • Trampoline Safety
    • Home trampolines are popular and seem like lots of fun, but they're also dangerous. They cause thousands of injuries every year in the U.S.

  • Types of Surgery for Children
    • Surgery doesn't always mean large incisions. Minimally invasive surgery is often used today. This uses small cuts, and allows a child to recover faster and with less pain.

  • Undescended Testes in Children
    • Undescended testes is when one or both of the male testes have not passed down into the scrotal sac. This is a condition seen in some newborn baby boys.

  • Watch That Backpack Load
    • Most children rely on backpacks to carry books and supplies to and from school and activities. But a backpack that's too heavy or doesn't fit right can cause harm.

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