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Anomalous Coronary Artery (ACA) in Children What is an ACA in a child? An anomalous coronary artery (ACA) is a heart defect. This is something your baby is born with (congenital). In ACA, the blood vessels that supply blood to your child's heart muscle aren't normal. In some

Diabetes Insipidus in Children What is diabetes insipidus in children? Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a condition caused by not enough antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in the body. ADH is also known as vasopressin. This is a hormone that helps the kidneys keep the correct amount of water

Graves Disease in Children What is Graves disease in children? Graves disease is an autoimmune disease. The immune system normally protects the body from infection and disease with proteins called antibodies. But with an autoimmune disease, the antibodies attack the body's own

Your Child's Allergies: Dust Mites What is a dust mite? Dust mites are microscopic organisms that live in homes and schools. They like warm, humid areas filled with dust. Dust mites feed on the shed scales of human skin that work their way into furniture, carpets, bedding, and

HIV/AIDS What is HIV/AIDS? The term AIDS refers to the most advanced stages of an infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The current definition of AIDS includes: All HIV-infected people who have fewer than 200 CD4+ T cells (also called T4 cells or just T

The Thyroid Gland Anatomy of the thyroid gland The thyroid gland is found in the front of the neck. It sits below the voice box (larynx) and on top of the trachea (windpipe). It has a butterfly-like shape. The small, 2-inch gland consists of 2 lobes, 1 on each side of the

Depression and Suicide Most people who die by suicide have a mental health issue. It may be a depressive or substance abuse disorder. They may feel lonely, depressed, or isolated. They may have had a traumatic life experience. Many of the warning signs of suicidal feelings are

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

Internal Tibial Torsion in Children What is internal tibial torsion in children? Internal tibial torsion is an inward twisting of the shinbones. These bones are located between the knee and the ankle. Tibial torsion causes a child's feet to turn inward. The child may look pigeon

Monoclonal Gammopathies What are monoclonal gammopathies? Monoclonal gammopathies are conditions in which abnormal proteins (antibodies) are found in the blood. These proteins are made from a small number of plasma cells in the bone marrow. The most common condition linked with