Children's Health: Your Child's Cough

Children's Health: Your Child's Cough Coughs are one of the most common symptoms of childhood illness. Although a cough can sound awful, it's not usually a sign of a serious condition. In fact, coughing is a healthy and important reflex that helps protect the airways in the throat and chest. But sometimes, your child's cough will warrant...

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Children's Health: Why Is Hand Washing So Important?

Children's Health: Why Is Hand Washing So Important? A delicious mud pie, a good-luck rock, or a friendly frog are the types of goodies kids love to bring home. But these adorable gifts can also bring millions of germs with them. Kids don't always listen when you tell them to wash their hands before eating, after using the bathroom,...

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Children's Health: What Are Germs?

Children's Health: What Are Germs? The term "germs" refers to the microscopic bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa that can cause disease. Hand washing is the single most important thing your family can do to prevent germs from leading to infections and sickness. Types of Germs Bacteria are tiny, single-celled organisms that get...

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Children's Health: Urine Tests

Children's Health: Urine Tests Doctors order urine tests for kids to make sure that the kidneys and certain other organs are functioning properly, or when they suspect that a child might have an infection in the kidneys, bladder, or other parts of the urinary tract. The kidneys make urine as they filter wastes from the bloodstream while...

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Children's Health: Too Late for a Flu Shot?

Children's Health: Too Late for a Flu Shot? Although the flu season lasts from October until May, with most cases occurring between late December and early March, the flu vaccine is usually offered between September and mid-November. Getting the shot before the flu season is in full force gives the body a chance to build up immunity...

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Children's Health: Talking to the Pharmacist

Children's Health: Talking to the Pharmacist If your child is sick, you'll probably have many questions to ask your doctor. But have you made a list of questions and concerns to share with your pharmacist? If you're like most parents, the answer is probably "very few" or "none." But today's pharmacists are trained to provide valuable...

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Children's Health: Strep Test: Throat Culture

Children's Health: Strep Test: Throat Culture What It Is A throat culture or strep test is performed by using a throat swab to detect the presence of group A streptococcus bacteria, the most common cause of strep throat. These bacteria also can cause other infections, including pneumonia, tonsillitis, and meningitis. A sample swabbed...

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Children's Health: Stool Tests

Children's Health:  Stool Tests About Stool Tests Stool (or feces) is usually thought of as nothing but waste — something to quickly flush away. But bowel movements can provide doctors with valuable information as to what's wrong when a child has a problem in the stomach, intestines, or another part of the gastrointestinal system. A...

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Children's Health: Soiling (Encopresis)

Children's Health: Soiling (Encopresis) If your child who has bowel movements (BMs) in places other than the toilet, you know how frustrating it can be. Many parents assume that kids who soil their pants are simply misbehaving or that they're too lazy to use the bathroom when they have the urge to go. The truth is that many kids beyond...

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Children's Health: Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome

Children's Health: Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome Munchausen by proxy syndrome (MBPS) is a relatively rare form of child abuse that involves the exaggeration or fabrication of illnesses or symptoms by a primary caretaker. Also known as "medical child abuse," MBPS was named after Baron von Munchausen, an 18th-century German dignitary known...

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Children's Health: Mumps

Children's Health: Mumps About Mumps Mumps is a disease caused by a virus that usually spreads through saliva and can infect many parts of the body, especially the parotid salivary glands. These glands, which produce saliva for the mouth, are found toward the back of each cheek, in the area between the ear and jaw. In cases of mumps,...

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Children's Health: Lumbar Puncture (Spinal Tap)

Children's Health: Lumbar Puncture (Spinal Tap) What It Is A lumbar puncture (LP), often called a spinal tap, is a common medical test that involves taking a small sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for examination. CSF is a clear, colorless liquid that delivers nutrients and "cushions" the brain and spinal cord, or central nervous...

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Children's Health: Is My Child Too Sick to Go to School?

Children's Health: Is My Child Too Sick to Go to School? I'm usually a pretty good judge of when my kids are too sick to go to school or daycare, but other times — like when my youngest seems to be dragging but has no fever — I'm just not sure. How can I tell when they're well enough to go to school and when they should just stay at...

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Children's Health: Is It a Cold or the Flu?

Children's Health: Is It a Cold or the Flu? Your child is sent home from school with a sore throat, cough, and high fever — could it be the flu that's been going around? Or just a common cold? Although the flu (or influenza) usually causes symptoms that make someone feel worse than symptoms associated with a common cold, it's not always...

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Children's Health: Talk to Your Child's Doctor

Children's Health: Talk to Your Child's Doctor Your child's doctor can be an incredible resource when you have questions and concerns about your child's health, but finding time for regular checkups and sick visits may be a stretch for your already jam-packed schedule. The doctor may be overbooked and overscheduled, too, so making the...

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