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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

Nosebleed (Epistaxis) in Children What is a nosebleed in children? A nosebleed is bleeding from tissues inside the nose (nasal mucus membranes) caused by a broken blood vessel. The medical word for nosebleed is epistaxis. Most nosebleeds in children occur in the front (anterior)

Arrhythmias in Children What are arrhythmias in children? An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. When a child has an arrhythmia, abnormal electrical signals sent through the heart muscle may cause the heart to beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or in an

Depression What is depression? Depression is a whole-body illness. It involves the body, mood, and thoughts. Depression affects the way you eat and sleep. It also can affect the way you feel about yourself, the people around you, and other things. It's not the same as being

Hirschsprung Disease in Children What is Hirschsprung disease in children? Hirschsprung disease is a rare birth defect. It affects the nerve cells in the large intestine. These nerve cells control the muscles that move food and waste, or stool, through the large intestine. The

Juvenile Arthritis and Other Rheumatic Diseases What are juvenile arthritis and other rheumatic diseases in children? Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints that causes pain and swelling. Juvenile arthritis is the term used for arthritis in children. The most common form of

Obesity in Children and Teens What is obesity in children and teens? Obesity is when a person has too much body fat. Without treatment, obesity can become a serious, long-term disease. What causes obesity in a child or teen? In many ways, childhood obesity is a puzzling disease

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

Anorectal Malformation in Children What is an anorectal malformation in children? Anorectal malformations are birth defects, or problems that happen as an unborn baby is developing during pregnancy. With this defect, the anus and rectum don’t develop properly. They are the lower

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