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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

Acute Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) in Children What is acute spinal cord injury (SCI) in children? The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. It sends instructions from the brain to the body and carries sensory information

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

Stroke What is a stroke? A stroke, or brain attack, happens when blood flow to your brain is stopped. It's an emergency situation. Call 911 if you think you might be having a stroke or stroke symptoms. The brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients to work well. If the

Tension Headaches What is a tension headache? Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. Stress and muscle tension are often factors in these headaches. Tension headaches often don’t cause nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light. They do cause a steady ache, rather

Herpes Simplex Virus (Cold Sores) in Children What are cold sores in children? Cold sores are small blisters around the mouth caused by the herpes simplex virus. They are sometimes called fever blisters. What causes cold sores in a child? The most common cause of cold sores is

Osteoporosis What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a disease that causes weak, thinning bones. This puts the bones at greater risk of breaking. The bones most often affected are the hips, spine, and wrists. What causes osteoporosis? Researchers don't know the exact cause for

Maternal and Fetal Testing Overview Most people have healthy pregnancies, and their babies are born without trouble. But people with high-risk pregnancies often need to be closely watched for possible problems. Fortunately, many tests and procedures are available to keep track of

Uniparental Disomy: Prader-Willi Syndrome and Angelman Syndrome What is uniparental disomy? Chromosome pairs affect how our body works. Normally, a baby gets 1 copy of each chromosome pair from each parent. This means 1 copy from the genetic mother, and the other copy from the

Molds in the Environment What is mold? A mold is a microscopic fungus that grows and lives on plant or animal matter. It can also live on nonorganic objects. Most molds are made up of filaments. They reproduce through the production of spores. Spores spread by air, water, or