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Children's Health
Learn about children's health
Children grow and change so quickly. Our Growth and Development topics can tell you what to expect at each stage of childhood. And our health topics can help you care for them when they're sick.
You can find information you need to keep your child healthy and thriving in topics such as:
- Abdominal Pain, Age 11 and Younger
- Abuse: Signs of Abuse-Related Injuries
- Acetaminophen Use in Young Children
- ADHD and Hyperactivity
- ADHD Medicines: Suicide Warning for Strattera
- ADHD Myths and Facts
- ADHD: Impulsivity and Inattention
- ADHD: Other Conditions With Similar Symptoms
- ADHD: Social Skills Training
- ADHD: Taking Care of Yourself When Your Child Has ADHD
- ADHD: Tests for Other Disorders
- Adolescent Sensory and Motor Development
- After-School Programs
- Aggression in Youth
- Alcohol Effects on a Fetus
- Amblyopia
- Ashkenazi Jewish Genetic Panel (AJGP)
- Asperger's Syndrome
- Asthma Action Plan: Green Zone
- Asthma Action Plan: Red Zone
- Asthma Action Plan: Yellow Zone
- Asthma in Children
- Asthma in Children: Knowing How Bad an Attack Is
- Asthma: Educating Yourself and Your Child
- Asthma: Overuse of Quick-Relief Medicines
- Asthma's Impact on Your Child's Life
- Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Autism
- Autism and Vaccines
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Autism: Behavioral Training and Management
- Avoiding Temper Tantrums
- Back Pain in Children and Teenagers
- Barking Coughs in Children
- Basic Dental Care
- Bed-Wetting
- Behavior Rating Scales for ADHD
- Behavior Therapy for ADHD
- Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens
- Bipolar Disorder in Children: Other Health Problems That May Occur
- Bipolar Disorder in Children: School Issues
- Biting
- Biting as a Behavior Problem
- Blocked Tear Ducts: Balloon Dacryocystoplasty
- Blocked Tear Ducts: Dye Disappearance Test
- Blocked Tear Ducts: Infracturing
- Blocked Tear Ducts: Intubation
- Bone Movement for Malocclusion
- Brace (Orthotic) Treatment for Scoliosis
- Breath-Holding Spells
- Breath-Holding Spells: Helping Your Child Avoid Injury
- Breath-Holding Spells: Keeping a Record
- Bronchiolitis
- Brushing and Flossing a Child's Teeth
- Bullying
- Bullying: Building a Child's Self-Esteem
- Bullying: How to Help Your Child Who Bullies
- Bullying: Signs a Child Is Bullied
- Cancer Treatment and Infertility
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cerebral Palsy: Bathing and Grooming Tips
- Cerebral Palsy: Controversial Treatments
- Cerebral Palsy: Help for Speech Problems
- Cerebral Palsy: Safety Tips
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- Chickenpox Vaccine: What You Need to Know
- Chickenpox: Preventing Skin Infections
- Child Abuse and Neglect
- Child Abuse: Emotional Abuse by Parents
- Child Abuse: Signs of Neglect
- Child Car Seats
- Child Care Providers: Licensing Standards
- Child Care Providers: Safe Child-Staff Ratio and Group Size
- Child Care: Hidden Costs
- Child Care: Interviewing Care Providers
- Child Care: Qualifications for Providers
- Child Care: When to Keep Your Child at Home
- Child Safety: Air Pollution
- Child Safety: Bicycles and Tricycles
- Child Safety: Drowning Prevention in Pools and Hot Tubs
- Child Safety: Guns and Firearms
- Child Safety: Pets
- Child Safety: Preventing Burns
- Child Safety: Preventing Child Abduction
- Child Safety: Preventing Drowning
- Child Safety: Preventing Falls
- Child Safety: Streets and Motor Vehicles
- Child Safety: Strollers and Shopping Carts
- Child Safety: Washing Toys to Prevent Germs
- Child Who Is Overweight: Evaluating Nutrition and Activity Patterns
- Child Who Is Overweight: Medical Evaluation
- Childhood Fears and Exposure to Violence
- Childhood Schizophrenia
- Children and Malaria: Reducing the Risk
- Children's Camps
- Children's Growth Chart
- Choking Prevention in Small Children
- Choking Rescue Procedure: Heimlich Maneuver
- Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- Choosing Child Care
- Classification and Types of Hydrocephalus
- Classification of Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
- Classification of Juvenile Arthritis
- Cleaning Your Young Son's Natural (Uncircumcised) Penis
- Cleanliness and Hygiene Standards for Group Child Care Facilities
- Cleft Lip
- Cleft Palate
- Cleft Palate Treatment After Surgery
- Cochlear Implants and Meningitis
- Colds
- Comforting a Child Who Has a Respiratory Illness
- Common Types of Birthmarks
- Communicating Effectively With a Child Care Provider
- Comparing Symptoms of Normal Moodiness With Depression in Children
- Complications of Ear Infections
- Conditions Related to Dyslexia
- Conditions With Symptoms Similar to Depression in Children and Teens
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Congenital Heart Defects: Caring for Your Child
- Congenital Hydrocephalus
- Congenital Syphilis
- Connection Between Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
- Constipation, Age 11 and Younger
- Corporal Punishment
- Cough Symptoms in Children
- Coughs, Age 11 and Younger
- Crib Safety
- Croup
- Crying Child That Is Not Acting Normally
- Crying: Tired or Overstimulated
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Cystic Fibrosis and Exercise
- Cystic Fibrosis: Getting Enough Calories and Nutrients
- Cystic Fibrosis: Ways to Clear the Airways
- Daytime Accidental Wetting (Diurnal Enuresis)
- Dealing With Emergencies
- Dehydration: Drinking Enough Fluids (Babies and Young Children)
- Dental Care: 3 Years to 6 Years
- Dental Care: 6 Years to 16 Years
- Dental Checkups for Children and Adults
- Depression in Children and Teens
- Diabetes in Children: Care Plan for School or Day Care
- Diabetes in Children: Food Issues at School
- Diarrhea, Age 11 and Younger
- Differences Between ADHD and Bipolar Disorder in Children
- Disc Battery in the Nose
- Doctors Who Treat Cleft Lip and Palate
- Down Syndrome
- Down Syndrome, Ages 1 to 5
- Down Syndrome, Ages 5 to 13
- Down Syndrome: Helping Your Child Avoid Social Problems
- Down Syndrome: Helping Your Child Dress Independently
- Down Syndrome: Helping Your Child Eat Independently
- Down Syndrome: Helping Your Child Learn to Communicate
- Down Syndrome: Helping Your Child Learn to Walk and Use Other Motor Skills
- Down Syndrome: Training and Therapy for Young People
- DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) Vaccine: What You Need to Know
- Dyslexia
- Ear Infections
- Ear Problems and Injuries, Age 11 and Younger
- Early Treatment for Malocclusion
- Educational Rights for Children With Disabilities
- Effective Parenting: Discipline
- Egocentric and Magical Thinking
- Emergency Procedures for Group Child Care Facilities
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Emotional Development, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Encouraging Language Development in Your Preschooler
- Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68)
- Epilepsy: Atonic Seizures
- Epilepsy: Tonic Seizures
- Epinephrine for Croup
- Establishing Limits With Your School-Age Child
- Evaluating Your Child's Hearing
- Extracting Teeth for Malocclusion Treatment
- Eye and Vision Tests for Children and Teens
- Family Life Cycle
- Family Therapy for Depression in Children
- FDA Advisories for Antidepressants
- Fetal Alcohol Effects: Behavior and Learning Problems
- Fetal Alcohol Effects: How to Help Your Child
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Signs That Your Child Needs to Be Evaluated
- Fever or Chills, Age 11 and Younger
- Fever Seizures
- Fever Temperatures: Accuracy and Comparison
- Fifth Disease
- Fitness: Getting and Staying Active
- Fluoride During Childhood
- Food Handling and Preparation in a Child Care Setting
- Gastroesophageal Reflux in Babies and Children
- Genital Warts (Human Papillomavirus)
- Getting Enough Calcium and Vitamin D
- Glucocorticoids for Croup
- Goniotomy for Congenital Glaucoma
- Grief: Helping Children Understand
- Group Child Care Center Policies
- Group Child Care: Activities
- Group Child Care: Health and Safety
- Growing Pains
- Growth and Development Milestones
- Growth and Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 6 to 10 Years
- Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease
- Head Injuries in Children: Problems to Watch For
- Headaches in Children
- Health and Safety, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Health Screening: Finding Health Problems Early
- Healthy Attitudes Toward Food and Exercise
- Healthy Eating for Children
- Healthy Eating in Children: Problems Caused by Poor Nutrition
- Healthy Eating in Children: Things That Influence Food Choices
- Healthy Habits for Kids
- Heat Rash
- Heatstroke Prevention: What to Wear
- Help Your School-Age Child Develop Social Skills
- Helping Adolescents Develop More Mature Ways of Thinking
- Helping Children During Immunizations
- Helping Children With Disabilities Stay Active
- Helping Kids Handle Peer Pressure
- Helping Your Child Avoid Tobacco, Drugs, and Alcohol
- Helping Your Child Build a Healthy Body Image
- Helping Your Child Build Inner Strength
- Helping Your Child Transition Into Middle School or Junior High
- Helping Your Child Who Is Overweight
- Helping Your School-Age Child Learn About the Body
- Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B) Vaccine: What You Need to Know
- High Blood Pressure in Children
- Hip Injuries, Age 11 and Younger
- Hip Problems, Age 11 and Younger
- Hirschsprung's Disease
- HIV Symptoms in Children
- HIV Treatment in Children
- Hormone Tests to Check for Undescended Testicles
- How ADHD Affects Your Child
- How Asthma Develops in Children
- How Cystic Fibrosis Affects Breathing and the Lungs
- How Cystic Fibrosis Affects the Sweat Glands
- How Normal Vision Develops
- How Reading Helps Language Development
- How Storytelling Helps Children Express Feelings About Loss
- HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccine Gardasil®: What You Need to Know
- HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccine: What You Need to Know
- Hypospadias
- Hypothyroidism in Infants, Children, and Teens
- Ibuprofen Use in Young Children
- Immunization Safety
- Immunization Schedules
- Immunizations: Questions Parents Ask
- Impetigo
- Importance of Immunizations
- Inguinal Hernia: Surgery in Children
- Interactive Tool: What Is Your Child's BMI?
- Intussusception
- Iron Toxicity
- Ivermectin for Head Lice
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Symptoms
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Adult Treatments That May Be Used in Children
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Balancing Rest and Activity
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Deciding About Total Joint Replacement
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Features of DMARD and SAARD Drugs
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Growth Problems
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Inflammatory Eye Disease
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Pain Management
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Range-of-Motion Exercises
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: School Partners
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Serial Casting
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Soft Tissue Release of Contracture
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Stretching and Strengthening Exercises
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Total Joint Replacement
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Treatment With Heat, Cold, or Water
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Vitamin D and Calcium
- Kawasaki Disease
- Klinefelter Syndrome
- Lead Poisoning
- Lead Poisoning in Children: Questions Before Screening
- Learning Disabilities
- Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome
- Lice
- Lice Treatment: Examples of Over-the-Counter Products
- Lice: Cleaning Lice From Combs, Clothing, and Other Items
- Little Leaguer's Elbow (Medial Apophysitis)
- Measles (Rubeola)
- Media and Your Child: Making Choices
- Medical Causes of Bed-Wetting
- Medical Checkups for Adolescents
- Medical History and Physical Exam for Nearsightedness
- Medicine for Tourette's Disorder
- Menarche
- Meningitis
- Meningococcal ACWY Vaccines - MenACWY and MPSV4: What You Need to Know
- Milestones for 10-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 4-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 5-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 6-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 7-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 8-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 9-Year-Olds
- Milestones for Ages 11 to 14
- MMR Vaccine (Measles, Mumps and Rubella): What You Need to Know
- MMRV Vaccine (Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella): What You Need to Know
- Moisture Alarms for Bed-Wetting
- Molluscum Contagiosum
- Motivational Therapy for Bed-Wetting
- Mouth Breathing and Malocclusion
- Mouth Guards for Sports
- Mumps
- Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
- Nasal Potential Difference Test for Cystic Fibrosis
- Nausea and Vomiting, Age 11 and Younger
- Nephrotic Syndrome
- Nightmares and Other Sleep Problems in Children
- Nonverbal Learning Disorder
- Nurturing Your Child to Improve Learning and Attention
- Object Stuck in a Child's Airway
- Oral Rehydration Solutions for Children
- Orchiopexy for Undescended Testicle
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease
- Peanut Allergy
- Pediatric Preparation for Medical Tests
- Physical Abuse: Common Injuries in Children
- Physical Activity for Children and Teens
- Physical Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Pinkeye (Conjunctivitis)
- Pityriasis Alba
- Pityriasis Rosea
- Playground Safety
- Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13): What You Need to Know
- Polio Vaccine: What You Need to Know
- Preparing Your Child for the Hospital
- Preschoolers: Building a Sense of Security
- Preschoolers: Building Self-Control
- Preschoolers: Building Social Skills
- Preschoolers: Encouraging Independence
- Preschoolers: Helping Your Child Explore
- Preventing Breath-Holding Spells in Children
- Preventing Children's Injuries From Sports and Other Activities
- Preventing Choking
- Preventing Poisoning in Young Children
- Preventing Tooth Decay in Young Children
- Procedural Sedation
- Protecting Your Child From Infections
- Protecting Your Skin From the Sun
- Puberty Issues
- Questions Your Doctor May Ask Before Prescribing Medicine for Depression in Children and Teens
- Quick Tips: Helping Children Take Medicine
- Quick Tips: Helping Your Child Stay Safe and Healthy
- Quick Tips: Safely Giving Over-the-Counter Medicines to Children
- Radial Head Subluxation
- Rash, Age 11 and Younger
- Recognizing and Developing Your Children's Special Talents
- Rectal Prolapse in Children
- Recurrent Abdominal Pain (RAP)
- Recurrent Ear Infections and Persistent Effusion
- Respiratory Problems, Age 11 and Younger
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection
- Reye Syndrome
- Risser Sign in Scoliosis
- Roseola
- Rotavirus
- Rotavirus Vaccine: What You Need to Know
- RSV: Risk of Complications
- Rules of Conduct for Children in a Group Child Care Center
- Safety Around Irrigation Canals
- Safety Plan: Preparing to Leave a Violent Relationship
- Scoliosis in Children and Teens
- Scrapes
- Screening for Hearing Problems
- Self-Esteem, Ages 6 to 10
- Serogroup B Meningococcal Vaccine (MenB): What You Need to Know
- Sexual Abuse: Knowing About Sex at Too Young an Age
- Sexual Abuse: Physical Signs in Children
- Sexual Abuse: Signs and Symptoms
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Sibling Rivalry
- Sickle Cell Disease: Splenic Sequestration
- Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis
- Snack Ideas for Preschoolers
- Special Diets for Epilepsy
- Speech and Language Delays: Common Misconceptions
- Speech and Language Development
- Speech and Language Development: Red Flags
- Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 3 to 5 Years
- Speech Problems: Normal Disfluency
- Spina Bifida
- Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis
- Sponge Bath for a Child's Fever
- Staying Healthy Around Animals
- Staying Safe: After You Leave a Violent Relationship
- Staying Safe: If You Are in a Violent Relationship
- Steroid Medicine for Asthma: Myths and Facts
- Strabismus
- Stress in Children and Teens
- Stuttering
- Stuttering: Risk Factors
- Sucking and Malocclusion
- Swallowed Button Disc Battery, Magnet, or Object With Lead
- Symptoms of Depression in Children
- Talking With Your Child About Sex
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Td (Tetanus, Diphtheria) Vaccine: What You Need to Know
- Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) Vaccine: What You Need to Know
- Temper Tantrums
- Temper Tantrums: Keeping a Record
- Thinking About Child Safety
- Thumb-Sucking
- Thumb-Sucking Versus Pacifier Use
- Tips for Parents of Children With Epilepsy
- Toilet Training
- Toilet Training: Knowing When Your Child Is Ready
- Tongue-Tie
- Tongue-Tie Surgery for Age 1 Year and Older
- Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Snoring
- Tonsillitis
- Tooth Development in Children
- Tourette's Disorder
- Trabeculotomy for Congenital Glaucoma
- Transparent Tape Test for Pinworms
- Treating Asthma in Babies and Younger Children
- Treating Tuberculosis in Children
- Treatment for ACL Injuries in Children and Teens
- Treatments for Developmental Stuttering
- Tuberculosis in Infants and Children
- Tubes for Ear Infections
- Type 1 Diabetes in Children: Caring for Your Child
- Type 1 Diabetes in Children: Emotional Issues
- Type 1 Diabetes in Children: Making Mealtime Happier
- Type 1 Diabetes in Children: Safe Exercise
- Type 1 Diabetes: Children Living With the Disease
- Type 1 Diabetes: Your Child's Role in Care
- Type 2 Diabetes in Children
- Type 2 Diabetes: Screening for Children
- Types of Cerebral Palsy
- Types of Malocclusion
- Types of Strabismus
- Umbilical Hernia in Children
- Unproven Treatments for Autism
- Urinary Problems and Injuries, Age 11 and Younger
- Urinary Tract Infections in Children
- Using an Agency to Find Individual Child Care
- Using Vaporizers and Humidifiers
- Vaccine Information Statements
- Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR)
- Violent Behavior in Children and Teens
- Vital Signs in Children
- Warning Signs of Suicide in Children and Teens
- Ways to Comfort a Baby in the Hospital
- Well-Child Visits
- When to Treat Malocclusion
- Your Child and the Dentist
- Your Child's First Vaccines: What You Need to Know
- ADHD: Should My Child Take Medicine for ADHD?
- Bed-Wetting: Should I Do Something About My Child's Bed-Wetting?
- Bed-Wetting: Should My Child See a Doctor?
- Depression: Should My Child Take Medicine to Treat Depression?
- Ear Infection: Should I Give My Child Antibiotics?
- Ear Problems: Should My Child Be Treated for Fluid Buildup in the Middle Ear?
- HPV: Should My Child Get the Vaccine?
- Scoliosis: Should My Child Have Surgery?
- Tonsillitis: Should My Child Have a Tonsillectomy?
- Umbilical Hernia: Should My Child Have Surgery?
- ADHD: Helping Your Child Get the Most From School
- ADHD: Helping Your Child Get Things Done
- Allergies in Children: Giving an Epinephrine Shot to a Child
- Amblyopia: Wearing an Eye Patch
- Asthma in Children: Helping a Child Use a Metered-Dose Inhaler and Mask Spacer
- Asthma: Taking Charge of Your Asthma
- Bipolar Disorder in Children: Helping Your Child Prevent Manic Episodes
- Chickenpox: Controlling the Itch
- Croup: Managing a Croup Attack
- Cystic Fibrosis: Helping Your Child Cough Up Mucus
- Diabetes in Children: Checking Blood Sugar in a Child
- Diabetes in Children: Counting Carbs
- Diabetes in Children: Giving Insulin Shots to a Child
- Diabetes in Children: Preparing a Care Plan for School
- Diabetes in Children: Preventing High Blood Sugar
- Diabetes in Children: Treating Low Blood Sugar
- Fitness: Teaching Your Child to Stay Active
- Grief: Helping Children With Grief
- Growth and Development: Helping Your Child Build Self-Esteem
- Healthy Eating: Helping Your Child Learn Healthy Eating Habits
- Sleep: Helping Your Children-and Yourself-Sleep Well
- Stress Management: Helping Your Child With Stress
- Thumb-Sucking: Helping Your Child Stop
Current as of: October 9, 2017
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine
