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The First Trimester The first prenatal visit The first prenatal visit is thorough. A doctor asks the parent-to-be about their health history and does a physical exam. Certain tests and procedures are also done to check the initial health of the parent and their unborn baby. The

Multiple Sclerosis and Pregnancy What is multiple sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain and spinal cord. MS is unpredictable. The symptoms of MS can range from mild to disabling, such as losing the

Chemotherapy for Children What is chemotherapy for a child? Chemotherapy (chemo) is the use of medicines to treat cancer or kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy has been used for many years. It's one of the most common treatments for many types of cancer. The groups of cancer therapy

Heart Transplant for Children What is a heart transplant for a child? A heart transplant is surgery to replace a heart that isn't able to work the way it needs to with a healthy one. The healthy heart comes from an organ donor. Heart donors are adults or children who are

Stroke in Children What is stroke in children? A stroke is a brain injury. It occurs when blood flow is interrupted to part of the brain. Stroke can be caused by a blocked blood vessel (ischemic stroke). Or it can be caused by bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). The brain

Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) in Children What is a ventricular septal defect? A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a congenital heart defect. This means that your baby is born with it. A VSD is a hole in the wall (septum) that separates the two lower chambers of the heart

Hydrocephalus What is hydrocephalus in children? A baby with hydrocephalus has extra fluid in and around the brain. This fluid is called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Most CSF is normally found in fluid-filled areas (ventricles) inside the brain. Its purpose is to cushion and

Caring for Someone with Alzheimer Disease Alzheimer disease is a type of dementia. Dementia is a condition that impairs a person's ability to think, concentrate, and remember (cognitive function). According to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer disease accounts for the

Chiari Malformation Type I in Children What is a Chiari malformation in children? A Chiari malformation (CM) is a problem with how the brain sits in the skull. The brain normally sits fully inside the skull. With a Chiari malformation, the lower part of the brain (cerebellum)

Cardiomyopathy and Your Child What is cardiomyopathy? Cardiomyopathy is disease of the heart muscle. It makes it harder for the heart to pump blood. There are different types of the disease. Any of them can cause the heart muscle to get larger, thicken, or become stiff. They keep