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Circumcision for Children What is circumcision for children? Circumcision is a surgery to remove the skin covering the end of the penis. This skin is called the foreskin. This surgery is most often done 1 or 2 days after a baby’s birth. Circumcision can also be done on older

Congenital Heart Disease According to the American Heart Association, about 9 of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S. have a congenital heart defect. This is a problem that occurs as the baby's heart is developing during pregnancy, before the baby is born. Congenital heart defects

Liver Transplant for Children What is a liver transplant for children? A liver transplant is surgery to replace a diseased liver with a healthy liver from another person. The new liver may come from an organ donor who has just died. A liver transplant may also come from a healthy

Labor What is labor? Labor is when the uterus contracts again and again to help the cervix open (dilate) and to thin (efface). The contractions get stronger with time. This causes the baby to move through the birth canal. Labor usually starts 2 weeks before or after the estimated

Cancer Overview What is cancer? Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells. The whole body is made of cells that act and grow in controlled ways as the body needs them. Cells are controlled by genes. The genes in any cell in the body can be damaged. Then the cell can grow out of

Scars What is a scar? A scar is the body's natural way of healing and replacing lost or damaged skin. It's often made of fibrous tissue. Scars may form due to infections, surgery, injuries, or inflammation of tissue. They may appear anywhere on the body. A scar may look flat

Normal Breast Development and Changes What is normal breast development? Breast development is a vital part of a woman’s reproduction. Breast development happens in certain stages during a woman's life: first before birth, again at puberty, and later during the childbearing years

Differences of Sex Development (DSD) When a child's sex is not clear at birth, the child has atypical genitalia (ambiguous genitalia). This means that the genitals don't seem to be clearly male or female. You may hear these differences called "DSDs," or sometimes "disorders of

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) What are sexually transmitted infections (STIs)? STIs are infections passed from person to person through sexual contact. They may also be called STDs for sexually transmitted diseases. Millions of new cases are diagnosed every year in the U

Overview of Kidney Disorders How do the kidneys work? The body takes nutrients from food and converts them to energy. After the body has used all the food components that it needs, waste products are left behind in the bowel and in the blood. The kidneys and urinary system help