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Hip Fracture What is a hip fracture? A hip fracture is a break in the thighbone (femur) of your hip joint. Joints are areas where two or more bones meet. Your hip joint is a "ball and socket" joint, where your thighbone meets your pelvic bone. The ball part of your hip joint is

High Blood Pressure in Children and Teens What is high blood pressure in children? Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls. Two numbers are recorded when measuring blood pressure: Systolic pressure. This is the higher number. It refers to the

Spinal Muscular Atrophy in Children What is spinal muscular atrophy in children? Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a disease of the nerves and muscles caused by certain genes. It affects the motor neurons in the spinal cord. It causes muscle wasting and weakness. What causes

High Blood Pressure/Hypertension What is high blood pressure? Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls. The force is made with each heartbeat as blood is pumped from the heart into the blood vessels. This is called systolic blood pressure. Blood

Alpha Thalassemia in Children What is alpha thalassemia in children? Alpha thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder. This means it is passed down through the parent’s genes. It may cause anemia in their children. Anemia is low numbers of red blood cells or low hemoglobin level

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in Children What is Duchenne muscular dystrophy in children? Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic condition that weakens your child’s muscles. It is the most common muscular dystrophy, a kind of inherited muscle disease. DMD causes weakness

Chronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis What is cirrhosis? Cirrhosis is when scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue. This stops the liver from working normally. Cirrhosis is a long-term (chronic) liver disease. The damage to your liver builds up over time. The liver is your body’s

Polio (Poliomyelitis) What is polio? Poliomyelitis is commonly called polio. It's an infectious disease. It is caused by 1 of 3 types of poliovirus. Polio is easily spread from person to person. The poliovirus is a virus that can cause paralysis. But most people who are infected

Headaches in Children What is a headache in children? A headache is pain or discomfort in one or more areas of the head or face. Headaches can happen once in a while. Or they may happen often. Headaches are often divided into two groups, based on what causes them: Primary

Cerebral Palsy in Children What is cerebral palsy in children? Cerebral palsy (CP) is a brain (neurological) disorder that causes problems with normal motor function. It's a lifelong condition that affects how the brain and muscles communicate. CP affects body movement, muscle