Top Diseases & Conditions Related Articles & Blog Posts

Introduction to cleft lip and palate: If parents think of adults they have known with repaired cleft lips, they might not be aware that surgical techniques and results have improved over recent years. What is cleft lip and palate? Clefts are gaps in the developing lip and/or palate(roof of the mouth). They may be small [...]

Related concepts: Varicella Introduction to chickenpox: Chickenpox is one of the classic childhood diseases. A young child covered in pox and out of school for a week is a typical scene. The first half of the week feels miserable from itching; the second half miserable from boredom. Since the introduction of the chickenpox vaccine, classic [...]

Related concepts: Static encephalopathy, CP Introduction to cerebral palsy: When parents hear the words “cerebral palsy,” it often conjures up an image of a twisted, wheel chair-bound child. Cerebral palsy can have a broad range of severity. Sometimes it is so mild that it doesn’t limit activity at all. Sometimes it is quite severe. By [...]

Related concepts: Gluten-sensitive enteropathy, GSE, Sprue, Celiac sprue, Non-tropical sprue Introduction to celiac disease: The little child just never seems to be feeling well. She doesn’t like to eat. She’s clingy and cranky. It seems like she always has loose stools. She’s not growing well. I wish she would just eat and grow. I wish [...]

Introduction to astigmatism: Children with significant astigmatism have to work harder to see well. This can lead to eyestrain, fatigue, and even headaches. What is astigmatism? Rays of light that enter the eye are supposed to be focused by the cornea and the lens to land on the retina, so that we can see clearly. [...]

Related concepts: West Nile virus, Yellow fever, Dengue fever, Colorado tick fever, St. Louis encephalitis, Western and Eastern equine encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, California encephalitis, La Crosse virus Introduction to arboviruses: The West Nile virus has been in the news in recent years, but it is only one example of the arboviruses, a group than can [...]

Introduction to anemia: Blood is a straw-colored liquid packed with red blood cells (that deliver oxygen to the body), white blood cells (that provide protection from infections), and platelets (little clumps that help the blood clot when needed). The red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to every part of the body. They also [...]

Introduction to amblyopia: Sometimes even children with perfect eyes can’t see well. How can this be? What is amblyopia? Practice makes perfect. Young eyes need practice in order for mature vision to develop in the brain. For this to happen, a clear image of the world needs to land on the retina and be transmitted [...]

Related concepts: Pharyngoconjunctival Fever Introduction to adenovirus: Most parents haven’t heard of adenovirus, but most children get it several times – especially in the first 2 years of life. What is adenovirus? Adenoviruses are very common viruses that can cause infections in children. There are over fifty subtypes of adenovirus. They most commonly cause upper [...]

Related Concepts: Anal stenosis, Imperforate anus, Recto-urethral fistula, Rectovesical fistula. Introduction to anorectal malformations: Very early in development, the urinary tract, rectum, and anus are all part of the same structure. They separate by the seventh week of a gestation. At the time of separation, the urinary tract already has an opening on the skin, [...]