Fifth Disease
What is fifth disease? It’s one of five common contagious childhood ailments that cause fever and a rash. After doctors figured out what to call measles, rubella, roseola, and scarlet fever, they apparently ran out of catchy names and called the fifth…
Learn MoreCroup: Symptoms and Treatment
What is croup? Croup is a common childhood infection marked by labored breathing and hoarse coughing. It’s most likely to show up in toddlers, but it can occur at any age. Croup usually begins as a respiratory infection, and a child may have a runny n…
Learn MoreOppositional Defiant Disorder
Consider the standards used to diagnose oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and you may think they could describe any kid on a bad day — and almost any teenager almost every day: They argue with adults, deliberately annoy people, defy rules, and hav…
Learn MoreMumps FAQ
What are mumps?Caused by a virus that infects the salivary glands near the jawbone, mumps is a highly contagious illness that shows up mainly in swelling and soreness in the jaw area. The swelling is usually on both sides, so that the sufferer bears a…
Learn MoreInternational Adoptions
If you’re preparing for an international adoption, you’re probably knee-deep in paperwork, waiting to be matched, or scheduling a flight for China, Russia, India, or another country to meet your new son or daughter for the first time. With all the exc…
Learn MoreComforting Your Child During Medical Procedures
What can I do to comfort my child during medical procedures or hospital stays? Even though the typical pediatrician’s office comes fully equipped with clowns on the wall and a dozen issues of Highlights magazine in the waiting room, your child will st…
Learn MoreAllergies and Hay Fever (Child)
What causes allergies?Every human body carries an arsenal of chemicals to fight off bacteria, viruses, and other intruders, but sometimes these weapons backfire. If your child has allergies, she responds to things in the environment that are not invad…
Learn MoreSwimmer’s Ear
What is swimmer’s ear?It’s an ear infection that kids and adults commonly get by swimming in a pool or lake. Water seeps into the ear canal and erodes its protective lining, making it easier for bacteria and fungi to take hold and multiply. Any infect…
Learn MoreLyme Disease in Children
What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease is an infection that your child can get if he’s bitten by a tick carrying certain bacteria. Doctors call it the “great imitator” because it mimics other diseases, making it difficult to diagnose; in addition, a blood…
Learn MoreLead Poisoning On the Job
It wasn’t that long ago that a California man in his mid-30s walked into a doctor’s office with such astronomical levels of lead in his blood that he was barred from returning to work. Alarmed, health officials began looking into his workplace, the Al…
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