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Related concepts: Speech disfluency Introduction to stuttering: When a child stutters, parents are often told to relax, that the stuttering is a phase that will soon be outgrown, and that nothing need be done. This advice is not always helpful. What is stuttering? Stuttering is a speech disorder that arises from a combination of genetic [...]

Related concepts: Strep, Group A strep, Group B strep, Flesh-eating strep Introduction to streptococcus: These tiny bacteria look like a harmless string of pearls–at least under a microscope. In people, they wear many faces: mild discomfort, minor inconvenience, or searing tragedy. Strep bacteria are easily killed by common antibiotics if the illness is identified and [...]

Related concepts: Strep pharyngitis, Acute pharyngitis, Exudative pharyngitis Introduction to strep throat: Some children fool their parents, with just a fever and a headache or stomachache. Others have the worst sore throat they can remember. Either way, strep throat should be treated with antibiotics. What is strep throat? Strep throat is a bacterial infection of [...]

Related concepts: Crossed eyes, Esotropia, Eye turn, Exotropia, Heterotropia, Wall eye, Wandering eye Introduction to strabismus: Strabismus can make it impossible for both eyes to focus on the same thing at the same time. In the long run, up to half of the children with an eye that deviates will lose vision in that eye, [...]

Related concepts: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcal infections Introduction to staph: Staph infections are very common. The bacteria look like innocent clusters of grapes under the microscope. What is staph? Staph bacteria surround us! They are often found on the surface of healthy people’s skin. Infection occurs if they enter the skin, or enter the body through [...]

Related concepts: Tinea Corporis Introduction to ringworm: The name ringworm survives from antiquity, when doctors thought that this round rash was indeed caused by a worm. Now we know that this common skin infection has nothing at all to do with worms, but it can have something to do with pets!

Related concepts: Vitamin D Deficient Rickets, The rachitic rosary Introduction to rickets: Good health is often a balancing act. Too much sun exposure can cause unwanted sunburn in babies, but too little sun exposure can lead to vitamin D deficient rickets. Breast milk does not necessarily contain much vitamin D. Neither does cow’s milk, nor [...]

Introduction to sprains: Sprains, strains, and active play…“I sprained my knee,” or “I have an ankle strain.”Ankles and sprains often go together in people’s minds, but beyond that, the distinction between sprains and strains often seems fuzzy. What is sprains? Strains are injuries to muscles, or to the tendons that connect muscles to bones. Strains [...]

Related concepts: Anencephaly, Encephalocele, Myelomeningocele, Neural tube defects Introduction to spina bifida: Before many women even realize that they are pregnant, their unborn baby’s neural tube has formed and closed at both ends. This tube will become the baby’s spinal cord. What is spina bifida? Neural tube defects occur when the neural tube does not [...]

Related concepts: Variola Introduction to smallpox: Smallpox long reigned as the king of dreaded contagious diseases. It killed more people than any other virus in recorded history — about 500 million people in the 20th century alone. For about 20 years, smallpox seemed to have vanished, no longer haunting the dreams of most people. Many [...]