Health Articles

RSS

High Blood Pressure in Children

Although people usually assume that only middle-aged or elderly people develop high blood pressure (hypertension), it is also possible for the condition to arise in teenagers, children and even babies.

13 Jan 2017

Headaches in Children and Teenagers

Headaches are a common complaint in children and teenagers. As children approach adolescence the frequency of headaches tends to increase. Boys, before puberty, are reported to have a greater frequency of headaches than girls.

13 Jan 2017

Headache Evaluation in Children and Teenagers

Most children and teenagers experience headaches. In fact, up to as many as 80% of them may complain about having at least one headache in a month. While preadolescent boys outnumber girls in terms of those affected, girls surpass boys at the onset of puberty.

13 Jan 2017

Flatfoot in Children

In children, flatfoot is referred to as pediatric flatfoot. It is estimated that up to 9 in every 10 children in North America (amongst other parts of the world) are born with this foot shape.

13 Jan 2017

Extended Breech, Flexed Breech and Footling Breech

The position of the baby inside the uterus keeps changing during pregnancy. At the time of delivery, the best position for the baby to be in is the head-down position. This position allows safer and easier passage of the baby via the birth canal and minimizes complications during child birth.

12 Jan 2017

What is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)?

The syndrome which is commonly referred to as cot death, is medically termed the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). It is the name given to the sudden death of a child less than 12 months old without a clear cause.

12 Jan 2017

What is Subcutaneous Tissue?

The subcutaneous tissue, also known as the hypodermis or superficial fascia, is the layer of tissue that underlies the skin. The terms originate from subcutaneous in Latin and hypoderm in Greek, both of which mean “beneath the skin,” as it is the deepest layer that rests just above the deep fascia.

12 Jan 2017

Pain in Infants

Pain is an uncomfortable sensation that may be described as dull, aching, sharp, throbbing or piercing. It may be constant or intermittent. Every individual may experience pain occasionally, including young children and infants. There are different types of pain, and each infant may display different signs of being in pain.

12 Jan 2017

Pain in Children

All individuals undergo pain from time to time, including children. Pain is an unpleasant physical and emotional sensation that may be experienced in a unique manner by each child, due to differences in pain perception.

12 Jan 2017

Ophthalmology Around the World

The professional requirements to become registered and practice as an ophthalmologist vary considerably throughout different countries of the world. Some countries require a postgraduate degree to become certified, whereas others require a residency program or other form of training.

12 Jan 2017

Double Outlet Right Ventricle

Normally, the aorta (i.e., the main artery transporting blood from our heart to the rest of our body) originates from the left ventricle, while the pulmonary artery, which carries blood from the heart to the lungs, originates from the right ventricle.

12 Jan 2017

Living with Peptic Ulcer Disease

For individuals who have been diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease, there are often several lifestyle changes that go alongside the treatment plan provided by the medical practitioner. Over time, a peptic ulcer typically heals with adequate treatment, though affected individuals need to pay attention to their diet in the future to prevent the formation of another ulcer.

12 Jan 2017

Hydrocele in Children

Hydrocele occurs when there is a collection of fluid inside the scrotum. This causes one of the testicles to look larger than the other. Most often, hydroceles are found in newborn boys.

12 Jan 2017

Pulmonary Atresia - Congenital Heart Defect

The term ‘pulmonary’ refers to the lungs and ‘atresia’ means missing, so pulmonary atresia is a congenital heart defect in which the pulmonary valve of the infant is missing. The pulmonary valve regulates the flow of blood from the right ventricle in the heart to the lungs, taking blood low in oxygen and passing it on to the lungs to make it oxygen rich.

11 Jan 2017

Language Development in Children

Language skills are essential to a child’s ability to communicate and develop. These skills enable children to engage with other people and learn from their surroundings and in the classroom. Language skills are about children learning the rules for putting words together in a way that will express their thoughts and feelings and understanding the meaning of both the written and spoken word.

11 Jan 2017

Outlook and Complications for Prune Belly Syndrome

A collection of three primary symptoms indicate the presence of this birth defect. These are the deficiency in the muscles of the abdomen which create the wrinkled appearance of the belly skin, the dilated urinary tract, as well as the undescended testicles in the male infants. Once Prune Belly syndrome has been diagnosed, treatment is prescribed based on the severity of the defect.

11 Jan 2017

Diagnosis of Molar Pregnancy

In a normal pregnancy, the product of conception is derived from the original genetic material, the 23 chromosomes, inside the sperm and the ovum. When these cells fuse, a zygote is formed. This single cell with 46 chromosomes repeatedly splits before differentiating into all the many types of cells and tissues that make up a pregnancy - the fetus and its surrounding membranes.

11 Jan 2017

PUVA Phototherapy (Psoralen plus UVA)

Phototherapy refers to when light is used as a therapy to treat a medical condition. For thousands of years, sunlight has been known to be beneficial as a treatment for certain skin disorders. Now, scientists know that it is the invisible, ultraviolet (UV) part of sunlight that improves skin conditions, particularly the ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. UV light reduces skin inflammation and can therefore benefit patients with inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis.

11 Jan 2017

Symptoms and Causes of Prune Belly Syndrome

Prune belly syndrome (PBS), also known as triad syndrome, is a birth disorder that combines three birth defects. The muscles of the abdomen are either missing altogether or partially developed, the urinary tract is not properly formed and in male infants one or both of the testicles does not descend into the scrotal sac.

11 Jan 2017

Prune Belly Syndrome

Prune belly syndrome is a birth defect affecting the abdominal muscles, genital organs and urinary tract of the infant. The muscles of the abdomen are poorly developed and the skin covering them is wrinkled, giving an appearance similar to a prune, hence the name of the disorder. The testicles of male infants may not have descended into the scrotal sack and the infant may also have a urinary tract malformation which often results in urinary infections.

11 Jan 2017