Mother and Child

Whether they're pounding and throbbing or dull and aching, headaches are common in kids. Headaches can have a wide range of causes and many levels of severity. It's important to understand how to recognize when a headache is just a passing pain and w...

Whether they're pounding and throbbing or dull and...

The flu vaccine is, indeed, a good idea for families. The flu shot does not cause the flu and it keeps kids and parents from getting sick. Getting the flu is worse than having a cold and can make a person sick for a week or more. Infants younger than...

The flu vaccine is, indeed, a good idea for famili...

Families of kids with allergies should use environmental control measures that reduce exposure to the child's allergy triggers. Some require few changes in the home, while others can be costly or fairly time-consuming. Talk with your doctor or health...

Families of kids with allergies should use environ...

Sleepwalking itself is not harmful. However, sleepwalking episodes can be hazardous since sleepwalking kids aren't awake and may not realize what they're doing, such as walking down stairs or opening windows. Sleepwalking is not usually a sign that s...

Sleepwalking itself is not harmful. However, sleep...

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common intestinal disorder that can cause cramps, gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. It is sometimes called a "nervous stomach" or a "spastic colon." Certain foods can trigger the symptoms of IBS, as can em...

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common intesti...

Night terrors are caused by over-arousal of the central nervous system (CNS) during sleep. This may happen because the CNS (which regulates sleep and waking brain activity) is still maturing. Some kids may inherit a tendency for this over-arousal — a...

Night terrors are caused by over-arousal of the ce...

The harder kids play, the harder they fall. The fact is, broken bones, or fractures, are common in childhood and often happen when kids are playing or participating in sports. Most fractures occur in the upper extremities: the wrist, the forearm, and...

The harder kids play, the harder they fall. The fa...

About 1 in 5 people regularly gets bothersome canker sores, which can make eating, drinking, and even brushing teeth a real pain. But just because they're relatively common doesn't mean these small open sores inside the mouth should be ignored. About...

About 1 in 5 people regularly gets bothersome cank...

Every time you walk, settle into a chair, or hug your child, you're using your bones, muscles, and joints. Without these important body parts, we wouldn't be able to stand, walk, run, or even sit. Bones and What They Do From our head to our toes, bon...

Every time you walk, settle into a chair, or hug y...

About the Lungs and Respiratory System Breathing is so vital to life that it happens automatically. Each day, you breathe about 20,000 times, and by the time you're 70 years old, you'll have taken at least 600 million breaths. All of this breathing c...

About the Lungs and Respiratory System Breathing i...

Bedwetting is an issue that millions of families face every night. It is extremely common among young kids but can last into the teen years. Doctors don't know for sure what causes bedwetting or why it stops. But it is often a natural part of develop...

Bedwetting is an issue that millions of families f...

The Importance of the Kidneys and Urinary Tract Our bodies produce several kinds of wastes, including sweat, carbon dioxide gas, feces (stool), and urine. These wastes exit the body in different ways. Sweat is released through pores in the skin. Wate...

The Importance of the Kidneys and Urinary Tract Ou...

About Sleepwalking Hours after bedtime, do you find your little one wandering the hall looking dazed and confused? If you have a sleepwalking child, you're not alone. It can be unnerving to see, but sleepwalking is very common in kids and most sleepw...

About Sleepwalking Hours after bedtime, do you fin...

Establishing a Bedtime Routine Preschoolers sleep about 10 to 12 hours during each 24-hour period, but there's no need to be rigid about which 10 to 12 hours these are. The most important thing is to help kids develop good habits for getting to sleep...

Establishing a Bedtime Routine Preschoolers sleep ...

What Are Night Terrors? Most parents have comforted their child after the occasional nightmare. But if your child has ever experienced what's known as a night terror (or sleep terror), his or her fear was likely inconsolable, no matter what you tried...

What Are Night Terrors? Most parents have comforte...

The practice of cosleeping, or parents sharing a bed with their infant, is controversial in the United States. Supporters of cosleeping believe that a parent's bed is just where an infant belongs. But is it safe? Why Do Some People Choose to Cosleep?...

The practice of cosleeping, or parents sharing a b...

Toddlers this age are moving from the eating habits they had as infants toward a diet more like your own. Your job is to keep introducing new flavors and textures. Food preferences are set early in life, so help your child develop a taste for healthy...

Toddlers this age are moving from the eating habit...

Your preschooler eats lunch, then 20 minutes later claims to be hungry. Is it OK to offer a little something? Maybe yes, maybe no. Here's why: Around the preschool years, many kids start to use the word "hungry" to express other feelings such as bore...

Your preschooler eats lunch, then 20 minutes later...

Fortunately, many of the harmful effects of malnutrition can be reversed, especially if a child is only mildly or briefly malnourished. If you think your child isn't getting enough of the right nutrients, talk to your doctor, who may perform a physic...

Fortunately, many of the harmful effects of malnut...

All over the world, people who are poor or who live in poverty-stricken areas are at the greatest risk for hunger and malnutrition. In poor countries, wars and natural disasters such as droughts and earthquakes also can contribute to hunger and malnu...

All over the world, people who are poor or who liv...

There's a lot of talk about getting kids to eat healthy foods, but what about getting them on board with healthy drinks? What kids drink can drastically affect the amount of calories consumed, as well as the amount of calcium needed to build strong b...

There's a lot of talk about getting kids to eat he...