healthy kids

Facts you should know about Osgood-Schlatter disease Osgood-Schlatter disease is a painful inflammation of the upper portion of the tibia (shinbone) approximately 1 inch below the patella (kneecap). Osgood-Schlatter disease can cause local pain, inflammation, swelling, and rarely calcification. Osgood-Schlatter disease can be diagnosed by a thorough history and physical examination. Osgood-Schlatter disease can be …

What is Down syndrome? Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that is caused by abnormal cell division. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by abnormal cell division resulting in chromosomal abnormality. Abnormalities include an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21. This genetic abnormality leads to developmental and physical changes that are characteristic of Down syndrome. The severity …

Nonspecific but common symptoms of UTIs in Children include fever (especially >102.2 F or 39 C) and abdominal pain. Urinary tract infections are a fairly common problem in childhood and may have either a benign course responding to simple antibiotic therapy or be associated with significant disruption in either the anatomy or function of a child's urinary system. This article …

There are several stages of puberty. Puberty is the time in a child’s life when sexual maturation occurs. There are several stages of puberty. A child goes through many physical and internal changes during the various stages of puberty, beginning around the age of 8 years in girls and 10 years in boys, till the age of 18 years when …

What is Down syndrome? Down syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome. Down syndrome is a type of genetic disorder in which a person has an extra chromosome (rod-like structures that contain genes) inside the cells. The syndrome is named after the English physician John Langdon Down who provided the first accurate description of this condition. Down …

Facts you should know about pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) Streptococcal infections can cause PANDAS. PANDAS is an acronym for "pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections." It is a fairly recently described disorder (1990s). An autoimmune response to a streptococcal infection is the leading theory as to the cause of PANDAS. It is diagnosed …

Why are vaccines given to children? Vaccinating your child also helps to prevent the spread of disease to those who cannot be vaccinated, including those newborns who are too young to be vaccinated and people with weak immunity who may not effectively develop antibodies to fight the disease. A vaccine is a dead or weakened germ (bacteria or virus), or …

What is pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum? The Ravitch procedure is a surgical correction of the congenital chest deformities called pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum. Pectus excavatum is a condition in which the sternum/breastbone or rib cage has an abnormal shape. This produces a caved-in or sunken appearance of the chest. Pectus carinatum is a genetic disorder of the chest …

What causes femur fractures in children? Distal femur fractures in children can stunt growth of the leg by injuring the growth plate in the bone. An open reduction and internal fixation fastens the thigh bone pieces together with hardware, encouraging the bone to heal correctly and hopefully avoiding a stunted leg. The femur, commonly known as the thigh bone, is …

What is otoplasty? Otoplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure to reduce the prominence and shape of unusually large or protruding ears. Otoplasty is a type of cosmetic ear surgery to reshape the ear, improving its structure and/or function.  Some of the early otoplasty surgeries were done mainly to improve the appearance of the ears after trauma. The surgery may also …