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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

Anatomy of a Newborn Baby's Skull The skull may seem to be one large bone, but it's made of several major bones that are connected together. The major bones that compose the skull include: 2 frontal bones 2 parietal bones 1 occipital bone These bony plates cover the brain, and

About the Heart and Blood Vessels The heart is the hardest working muscle in the human body. Located almost in the center of the chest, a healthy adult heart is the size of a clenched adult fist. By age 70, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times. The heart is

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

Traveling with a Chronic Condition Take care when traveling with a chronic condition Chronic conditions should not prevent you from enjoying travel. As with other medical conditions, if you have a chronic disease, you should see your doctor as early as possible before traveling

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

Birthmarks What are birthmarks? Birthmarks are areas of discolored or raised skin that are seen at birth or within a few weeks of birth. They may be made of malformed pigment cells or blood vessels. Medical experts don’t know what causes birthmarks. But most of them are not

Tests to Diagnose a Stroke How is a stroke diagnosed? Your doctor will ask you about your health history. They will give you a physical exam. You may also have these tests to diagnose a stroke. Imaging tests of the brain CT scan. This test uses X-rays and a computer to make

Risks of Pregnancy Over Age 30 Many women wait until later in life to have children. In the U.S., birth rates for women in their 30s are at the highest levels in four decades. But an older mother may be at increased risk for things such as: Miscarriage Birth defects Twins High

Prenatal Medical Care The importance of early prenatal medical care As soon as you find out you are pregnant, work with your health care provider to set up a schedule of prenatal care. For pregnancies without major complications, prenatal exams are often scheduled as follows