You’ve probably experienced waking in the middle of the night to find your child flushed, hot, and sweaty. Your little one’s forehead feels warm. You immediately suspect a fever, but are unsure of what to do next. Should you get out the thermometer? Call the doctor? In healthy kids, fevers usually …
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Head Lice
The head louse is a tiny, wingless parasitic insect that lives among human hairs and feeds on tiny amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. Lice (the plural of louse) are a very common problem, especially for kids. They’re contagious, annoying, and sometimes tough to get rid of. Has your …
Is It a Cold or the Flu?
Your child is sent home from school with a sore throat, cough, and high fever — could it be the flu that’s been going around? Or just a common cold? Although the flu (or influenza) usually causes symptoms that make someone feel worse than symptoms associated with a common cold, …
Middle Ear Infections
After the common cold, ear infections are the most frequently diagnosed childhood illness in the United States. Most kids will have had at least one ear infection by the time they’re 3 years old. A Close Look at the Ear To understand how ear infections develop, let’s review how the ear works. Think …
Mononucleosis
About Mononucleosis Kids and teens with mononucleosis (mono) can have flu-like symptoms (like a fever, muscle aches, tiredness, and a sore throat), which go away on their own after a few weeks of rest and plenty of fluids. Mono usually is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a very common …
Neonatal Infections
The vast majority of newborns enter the world healthy. But sometimes, infants develop conditions that require medical tests and treatment. Newborns are particularly susceptible to certain diseases, much more so than older children and adults. Their new immune systems aren’t adequately developed to fight the bacteria, viruses, and parasites that …
Pinkeye (Conjunctivitis)
About Pinkeye Conjunctivitis, commonly called pinkeye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids. Pinkeye can be alarming because it may make the eyes extremely red and can spread quickly. But it’s fairly common …
Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in kids. By the time they’re 5 years old, about 8% of girls and about 1–2% of boys have had at least one. In older kids, UTIs may cause obvious symptoms such as burning or pain with urination (peeing). In infants and young children, …
A Cold or Allergies: Which Is It?
My son has been sneezing for the past few weeks and blows his nose constantly. How can I tell if he has allergies or just a lingering cold? – Michelle Seasonal allergies and the common cold can be so much alike that it’s sometimes hard to tell the two apart. …
Common Cold
The common cold catches all of us from time to time, bringing sniffles and sneezes and perhaps a sore throat and annoying cough. Kids can get eight colds per year or more, making them the most common infectious disease in the United States and the top reason kids visit the doctor and …