Lead Poisoning

If you have young children, it's important to find out whether there's any risk that they might be exposed to lead, especially if you live in an older home. Long-term exposure to lead, a naturally occurring metal used in everything from construction materials to batteries, can cause serious health problems, particularly in young kids. Lead is toxic to everyone, but unborn babies and young children are at greatest risk for health problems from l

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Concussions

The term concussion conjures up the image of a child knocked unconscious while playing sports. But concussions — temporary loss of brain function — can happen with any head injury, often without any loss of consciousness. And many head injuries occur off the playing field, in car and bicycle accidents, in fights, and even routine calamities and falls. Kids who sustain concussions usually can recover within a week, without lasting health problem

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Brain Tumors

Few things are more frightening than finding out your child has a brain tumor. Yet it's a fear many parents have had to face. Brain tumors are now the second most common group of childhood cancers, after leukemia, affecting approximately 2,300 children each year. Some can be cured relatively easily; others have a poorer outlook. All require a very specialized treatment plan involving a team of medical specialists, and all are likely to take a t

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Bell's Palsy

Bell's palsy is a sudden weakness or paralysis on one side of the face that makes it hard for a person to move the mouth, nose, or eyelid and can make that side of the face droop or look stiff. It occurs when one of the facial nerves is not functioning properly, often after a virus. What Causes Bell's Palsy? When the facial nerve is working properly, it carries a host of messages from the brain to the face. These messages may tell an eyelid to

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Abusive Head Trauma (Shaken Baby Syndrome)

Abusive head trauma/inflicted traumatic brain injury or AHT (also called shaken baby/shaken impact syndrome or SBS) is a form of inflicted head trauma. AHT can be caused by direct blows to the head, dropping or throwing a child, or shaking a child. Head trauma is the leading cause of death in child abuse cases in the United States. How These Injuries Happen Unlike other forms of inflicted head trauma, abusive head trauma results from injuries

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Treating Scoliosis

Every person's spine can curve. A certain amount of curvature is necessary for us to balance, move, and walk properly. But 3 people out of 100 have scoliosis, a condition that causes the spine to curve too much in the wrong direction. No one knows what causes the most common form of scoliosis, called idiopathic scoliosis. The condition can be hereditary, so a child who has scoliosis might have family members who have it. Girls are much more pro

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Nursemaid's Elbow

Whenever you reach out to a young child, be mindful not to pull or jerk his or her hands or arms. A quick tug of a toddler's arm can easily result in a slip or subluxation (partial dislocation) of an elbow bone. This is called "nursemaid's elbow" or pulled elbow. Nursemaid's elbow most commonly occurs in kids 1 to 3 years old, though infants and older kids can experience it, too. In younger children, the ligaments (bands of muscle that hold bo

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Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a genetic disorder that gradually weakens the body's muscles. It's caused by incorrect or missing genetic information that prevents the body from making the proteins it needs to build and maintain healthy muscles. A child who is diagnosed with MD gradually loses the ability to do things like walk, sit upright, breathe easily, and move the arms and hands. This increasing weakness can lead to other health problems. The

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Gait Abnormalities

Whether your baby rises from a crawl with a shaky first step or a full-on sprint across the living room, chances are you'll be on the edge of your seat. But remember — a child's first steps usually aren't picture perfect. Learning to walk takes time and practice, and it's common for kids to start walking with their toes and feet turned at an angle. When feet turn inward — a tendency referred to as walking "pigeon-toed" — doctors call it in-toeing. When feet point outward, it's called out-toeing. It can be upsetting to see your child develop

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Common Childhood Orthopedic Conditions

As time passes, you may notice that your child's growth isn't occurring completely on the straight and narrow. Many young children exhibit flatfeet, toe walking, pigeon toes, bowlegs, and knock-knees in their first years of life. Some of these conditions correct themselves without treatment as the child grows. Others that persist or become more severe may be linked to other conditions. Many orthopedic conditions, just like dimples or cleft chin

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