Children's Health
Learn about children's health
Children grow and change so quickly. Our Growth and Development topics can tell you what to expect at each stage of childhood. And our health topics can help you care for them when they're sick.
You can find information you need to keep your child healthy and thriving in topics such as:
Health Topics
- Abdominal Pain, Age 11 and Younger
- Alcohol Effects on a Fetus
- Allergic Rhinitis Medicines and Children
- Amblyopia
- Anger, Hostility, and Violent Behavior
- Ashkenazi Jewish Genetic Panel (AJGP)
- Asperger's Syndrome
- Asthma action plan
- Asthma in Children
- Atopic Dermatitis
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Autism
- Basic Dental Care
- Bed-Wetting
- Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens
- Biting
- Brace (orthotic) treatment for scoliosis
- Breath-Holding Spells
- Bronchiolitis
- Brushing a Child's Teeth
- Brushing and Flossing a Child's Teeth
- Bullying
- Celiac Disease
- Cerebral Palsy
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- Child Abuse and Neglect
- Child Car Seats
- Choosing Child Care
- Cleaning Your Young Son's Natural (Uncircumcised) Penis
- Cleft Lip
- Cleft Palate
- Clubfoot
- Communicating Effectively With a Child Care Provider
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Congenital Hydrocephalus
- Constipation, Age 11 and Younger
- Coughs, Age 11 and Younger
- Coughs, Age 12 and Older
- Crib Safety
- Croup
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Dealing With Emergencies
- Dehydration
- Depression in Children and Teens
- Diarrhea, Age 11 and Younger
- Domestic Abuse
- Domestic Violence
- Down Syndrome
- Dyslexia
- Ear Infections
- Ear Problems and Injuries, Age 11 and Younger
- Early Disease Detection
- Effective Parenting and Disciplining Children
- Establishing Limits With Your School-Age Child
- Evaluating Your Child's Hearing
- Family Life Cycle
- Fever Seizures
- Fever, Age 12 and Older
- Fifth Disease
- First Fever Seizure in a Child
- Food Allergies
- Gastroesophageal Reflux in Babies and Children
- Goniotomy for glaucoma
- Growth and Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 6 to 10 Years
- Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease
- Hand-Washing
- Head Injury, Age 4 and Older
- Headaches in Children
- Health and Safety, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Healthy Activity Habits for Children
- Healthy Eating for Children
- Healthy Habits for Kids
- Heat Waves
- Help Your School-Age Child Develop Social Skills
- Helping Children With Disabilities Stay Active
- Helping the Overweight Child
- Helping Your Child Avoid Tobacco, Drugs, and Alcohol
- Helping Your Child Build Inner Strength
- Helping Your Child Transition Into Middle School or Junior High
- Helping Your School-Age Child Learn About the Body
- Hip Injuries, Age 11 and Younger
- Hip Problems, Age 11 and Younger
- Hirschsprung's Disease
- Immunizations
- Impetigo
- Interactive Tool: What Is Your Child's BMI?
- Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Kawasaki Disease
- Ketogenic diet for epilepsy
- Klinefelter Syndrome
- Lead Poisoning
- Lice
- Malocclusion and Orthodontics
- Measles (Rubeola)
- Menarche
- Molluscum Contagiosum
- Mumps
- Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
- Nausea and Vomiting, Age 12 and Older
- Orchiopexy for undescended testicle
- Peanut Allergy
- Pediatric Preparation for Medical Tests
- Physical Abuse
- Physical Activity for Children and Teens
- Playground Safety
- Preventing Poisoning in Young Children
- Protecting Your Child From Drowning Hazards
- Protecting Your Skin From the Sun
- Public Areas and Exposure to Infections
- Quick Tips: Giving Over-the-Counter Medicines to Children
- Quick Tips: Helping Your Child Stay Safe and Healthy
- Radial Head Subluxation
- Rash, Age 11 and Younger
- Recognizing and Developing Your Children's Special Talents
- Recurrent Ear Infections and Persistent Effusion
- Respiratory Problems, Age 11 and Younger
- Respiratory Problems, Age 12 and Older
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection
- Reye Syndrome
- Roseola
- Rotavirus
- Scoliosis
- Sensory Integration Dysfunction
- Sexual Abuse or Assault (Rape)
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis
- Speech and Language Development
- Spina Bifida
- Strabismus
- Stress in Children and Teens
- Stuttering
- Symptoms of a Concussion in Children
- Talking With Children About Sex
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Teething
- Temper Tantrums
- Thumb-Sucking
- Tips for Parents of Children With Epilepsy
- Toilet Training
- Tonsillitis
- Tooth Development in Children
- Tourette's Disorder
- Trabeculotomy for glaucoma
- Tubes for ear infections
- Type 1 Diabetes: Children Living With the Disease
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Type 2 Diabetes in Children
- Umbilical Hernia in Children
- Urinary Problems and Injuries, Age 11 and Younger
- Urinary Tract Infections in Children
- Urine Ketone Test and Children With Diabetes
- Vaccine Information Statements
- Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR)
- Your Child and the Dentist
Medications
- Antibiotics for middle ear infection
- Antibiotics for urinary tract infections in children
- Antihistamines for itching from chickenpox
- Antihypertensives for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Antimalarial medications for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
- Antipsychotics for child and teen bipolar disorder
- Antiviral medicines for chickenpox
- Atomoxetine (Strattera) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Chelating agents for lead poisoning
- Desmopressin for bed-wetting
- Etanercept for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
- Hormone therapy for undescended testicle
- Methotrexate for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
- Mood stabilizers for child and teen bipolar disorder
- Oxybutynin chloride for daytime wetting and bed-wetting
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for depression in children and teens
- Stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) for bed-wetting
Make a Wise Decision
- ADHD: Should my child take medicine for ADHD?
- Bed-wetting: Should I do something about my child's bed-wetting?
- Bed-wetting: Should my child see a doctor?
- Depression: Should my child take medicine to treat depression?
- Ear infection: Should I give my child antibiotics?
- Ear problems: Should my child be treated for fluid buildup in the middle ear?
- HPV: Should my daughter get the vaccine?
- Scoliosis: Should I (or my child) have surgery?
- Tonsillitis: Should my child have a tonsillectomy?
- Umbilical hernia: Should my child have surgery?
Take Action
- ADHD: Helping your child get the most out of school
- ADHD: Helping your child get things done
- Amblyopia: Wearing an eye patch
- Asthma in children: Helping a child use a metered-dose inhaler and mask spacer
- Asthma: Taking charge of your asthma
- Asthma: Using an asthma action plan
- Bipolar disorder in children: Helping your child prevent manic episodes
- Chickenpox: Controlling the itch
- Croup: Managing a croup attack
- Cystic fibrosis: Helping your child cough up mucus
- Diabetes in children: Checking blood sugar in a child
- Diabetes in children: Counting carbs
- Diabetes in children: Dealing with low blood sugar
- Diabetes in children: Giving insulin shots to a child
- Diabetes in children: Preparing a care plan for school
- Diabetes in children: Preventing high blood sugar
- Diabetes in children: Preventing low blood sugar
- Fitness: Teaching your child to stay active
- Grief: Helping children with grief
- Growth and development: Helping your child build self-esteem
- Healthy eating: Helping your child learn healthy eating habits
- Stress management: Helping your child with stress
- Thumb-sucking: Helping your child stop
Last Updated: May 6, 2008
Author: Debby Golonka, MPH
Medical Review: Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
