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Cystic Fibrosis and the Digestive System How does cystic fibrosis affect the digestive system? Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) have a protein in their cells that doesn't work right. The protein is called CFTR (the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator). CFTR controls the

Uniparental Disomy: Prader-Willi Syndrome and Angelman Syndrome What is uniparental disomy? Chromosome pairs affect how our body works. Normally, a baby gets one copy of each chromosome pair from each birth parent. In rare cases, two copies come from the same parent. This is

Signs of Respiratory Distress Learning the signs of respiratory distress People who have trouble breathing often show signs that they are having to work harder to breathe or are not getting enough oxygen. This means that they are in respiratory distress. Below is a list of some

Traveling with a Chronic Condition Take care when traveling with a chronic condition Chronic conditions should not prevent you from enjoying travel. As with other medical conditions, if you have a chronic disease, you should see your doctor as early as possible before traveling

Nutrition During Pregnancy The importance of good nutrition during pregnancy About 300 extra calories are needed every day to maintain a healthy pregnancy. These calories should come from a balanced diet of protein, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Sweets and fats should be

Skin Pigment Disorders What are skin pigment disorders? Skin color is determined by a pigment (melanin) made by specialized cells in the skin (melanocytes). The amount and type of melanin determines a person's skin color. What is the function of melanin? Melanin's role is to

Anatomy of a Newborn Baby's Skull The skull may seem to be one large bone, but it's made of several major bones that are connected together. The major bones that compose the skull include: 2 frontal bones 2 parietal bones 1 occipital bone These bony plates cover the brain, and

Birthmarks What are birthmarks? Birthmarks are areas of discolored or raised skin that are seen at birth or within a few weeks of birth. They may be made of malformed pigment cells or blood vessels. Medical experts don’t know what causes birthmarks. But most of them are not

Methods of Surgery What are the different methods of surgery? Surgery doesn't always mean large cuts (incisions) and long healing times, as in the past. Depending on the type of surgery, several methods may be used. People with the same diagnosis won't always be advised to have

Diet to Help Prevent Heart Disease Eating a healthy diet can help prevent a number of problems, such as high cholesterol and heart disease. But knowing exactly what a healthy diet looks like can be a challenge. The USDA and the U.S. Department of Health teamed up to create an