If your child needs a heart transplant, you’re probably feeling lots of emotions all at once — including anger, sadness, worry, and frustration. These feelings can become overwhelming, especially when your child is waiting for a new heart. Fortunately, many kids who undergo heart transplants go on to live normal, …
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When Your Child Needs a Liver Transplant
Being told that your child needs a liver transplant may leave you feeling scared, angry, or confused. You might not fully understand why your child needs a new organ or where the new organ will come from. Just thinking about the months ahead may fill you with dread and worry. …
When Your Child’s in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
It can be stressful whenever kids are in the hospital — and even more so when they’re admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). But a basic understanding of the people and equipment in the PICU can help you feel better prepared to help your child recover. What’s the …
Circumcision
Whether you’re expecting a baby boy or have just welcomed your new little guy into the world, you have an important decision to make before you take your son home: whether to circumcise him. Was it hard to decide if you should circumcise your son? YesNo VoteView Results For some …
Cleft Lip and Palate
An orofacial (or-oh-FAY-shul) cleft is when a baby is born with an opening in the lip and/or roof of the mouth (palate). Cleft lip and cleft palate happen in about 1 or 2 of every 1,000 babies born in the United States each year, making it one of the most …
Cochlear Implants
Sometimes called a “bionic ear,” the cochlear implant offers the hope of gaining or restoring the ability to sense sound for some people with significant hearing loss. What Is a Cochlear Implant? A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted device that helps overcome problems in the cochlea (KO-klee-uh). The cochlea are snail-shaped, …
Enlarged Adenoids
Enlarged Adenoids Adenoids are a patch of tissue that sits at the very back of the nasal passage. Like tonsils, adenoids help keep the body healthy by trapping harmful bacteria and viruses that you breathe in or swallow. Although you can see the tonsils at the back of the throat, adenoids aren’t …
Gastroesophageal Reflux
At one time or another, many adults have had heartburn (an uncomfortable feeling in the chest) after eating a big meal or spicy foods. When these symptoms happen often or aren’t tied to certain ingredients, they might be due to gastroesophageal reflux (GER), also called reflux. But GER isn’t just a …
Hernias
Many people are surprised to learn that hernias are fairly common in kids. Babies (especially preemies) can even be born with them. Hernias in kids can be treated (hernia repair is the one of the most common surgeries performed on children), but it’s important to recognize their symptoms so that …
Intussusception
About Intussusception Intussusception (in-tuh-suh-SEP-shun) is the most common abdominal emergency affecting children under 2 years old. It happens when one portion of the bowel slides into the next, much like the pieces of a telescope. When this “telescoping” happens, the flow of fluids and food through the bowel can become …