Search Results

Dysphagia in Children What is dysphagia in children? Dysphagia means trouble swallowing. This condition happens when food or liquids can’t pass easily from your child’s mouth into the throat, down the esophagus, and into the stomach when swallowing. What causes dysphagia in a

Addison Disease in Children What is Addison disease in a child? Addison disease, also called primary adrenal insufficiency, is when the adrenal glands don't make enough of the "stress" hormone called cortisol. Cortisol controls metabolism, blocks inflammatory reactions, and

Posterior Urethral Valves in Children What are posterior urethral valves in children? Posterior urethral valves are a problem with the urethra in a boy. The urethra is the tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. Posterior urethral valves are small

Diet to Help Prevent Heart Disease Eating a healthy diet can help prevent a number of problems, such as high cholesterol and heart disease. But knowing exactly what a healthy diet looks like can be a challenge. The USDA and the U.S. Department of Health teamed up to create an

Head Injury in Children What is a head injury in children? A head injury is any kind of damage to the scalp, skull, brain, or other tissue and blood vessels in the head. A head injury is also often called a brain injury or traumatic brain injury (TBI), depending on the extent of

Short Bowel Syndrome in Children What is short bowel syndrome in children? Short bowel syndrome is when the body has trouble absorbing nutrients from food because of a problem with the small intestine. It often happens to children who have had a large part of their small

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

Truncus Arteriosus (TA) What is truncus arteriosus? Truncus arteriosus is a heart defect that is present at birth (congenital). It happens when there is an abnormal connection between the aorta and pulmonary artery. Normally, the aorta and the pulmonary artery are separate. In

Necrotizing Enterocolitis in the Newborn What is necrotizing enterocolitis in the newborn? Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious, life-threatening illness in newborns. It happens when tissue in the large intestine (colon) gets inflamed. This inflammation damages and kills

Actinic Keratosis What is actinic keratosis? Actinic keratosis (AK) is a rough, scaly spot or bump on sun-exposed skin. Most people with AK have more than one spot. AK is the most common precancer of the skin. Over time, it can develop into squamous cell skin cancer. Most