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Hemophilia What is hemophilia? Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder. People with hemophilia bleed easily because they don’t have enough of one of the clotting factors in their blood. Clotting factors are needed for blood to clot. Blood clots to prevent excessive bleeding

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis What is juvenile idiopathic arthritis? Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a form of arthritis in children. Arthritis causes joint swelling (inflammation) and joint stiffness. JIA is arthritis that affects 1 or more joints for at least 6 weeks in

Kidney Failure What is kidney failure? Kidney failure happens when damage results in loss of normal kidney function. There are 2 types of kidney failure—acute and chronic. Acute kidney failure starts abruptly. It can sometimes be reversed. Chronic kidney failure progresses slowly

Lupus What is lupus? Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is an autoimmune disease that causes your body’s immune system to attack its own cells and tissues. It causes episodes of inflammation to various parts of the body. It can affect your joints, tendons, and skin. It

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) What is PDA? Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a heart defect found in the days or weeks after birth. The ductus arteriosus is a normal blood vessel that's part of fetal blood circulation before a baby is born. It’s an extra blood vessel that

Allergy Overview What are allergies? Allergies are due to a problem with the body's immune system. Most allergic reactions happen when the immune system reacts to a false alarm. Normally the immune system attacks harmful things, such as viruses or bacteria. But sometimes it

Atherosclerosis What is atherosclerosis? Atherosclerosis is thickening of the walls of the arteries. It is also known as hardening of the arteries. It is caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. Plaque is made up of deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol

Shingles What is shingles? Shingles (herpes zoster) is a common infection of the nerves. It is caused by a virus. Shingles set off a painful rash or small blisters on an area of skin. It can appear anywhere on the body, but it typically appears on only one side of the face or

Encopresis What is encopresis? Encopresis is when your child leaks stool into their underwear. It's also called stool soiling. It's most often because of long-term (chronic) constipation. Encopresis happens to children ages 4 and older who have already been toilet trained. In