Earaches are common in kids and can have many causes. Here’s why they happen and what to do when your child complains of ear pain. Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen as needed to ease pain (check the ...

Heavy metals are elements that are found in soil, water, and the air we breathe. Plants take up these metals as they grow and can end up in the food we eat. Our bodies need some heavy metals (like ...

What Is a VP Shunt? A ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is a thin plastic tube that helps drain extra cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain. CSF is the saltwater that surrounds and cushions the brain ...

Most blood tests take only a few minutes. They’re done at some doctor’s offices, and at community labs, diagnostic centers, and hospitals. A doctor, nurse, or phlebotomist (fleh-BOT-eh-mist, someone ...

What's the Immune System? To be immune (say: ih-MYOON) means to be protected. So it makes sense that the body system that helps fight off sickness is called the immune system. The immune system is ...

How Does Air Enter the Respiratory System? Air enters the respiratory system through the nose or the mouth. If it goes in the nostrils (also called nares), the air is warmed and humidified. Tiny hairs ...

It’s normal for people to masturbate (touch or rub their own genitals because they like the way it feels). Some people do it to relieve stress or tension. It’s nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed ...

Bullying is a big problem. It can make kids feel hurt, scared, sick, lonely, embarrassed, and sad. Bullies might hit, kick, or push to hurt people, or use words to call names, tease, or scare them. A ...

Walking pneumonia is a less serious form of the lung infection pneumonia. It's often caused by bacteria called Mycoplasma pneumoniae, but other bacteria or viruses can also cause it. Most kids with ...

A bully can turn something like going to the bus stop or recess into a nightmare for kids. Bullying can leave deep emotional scars. And in extreme situations, it can involve violent threats, property ...

Both the brain and the spinal cord are protected by bone: the brain by the bones of the skull, and the spinal cord by vertebrae, a set of ring-shaped bones. They're both cushioned by layers of ...

What Is an Umbilical Hernia? An umbilical hernia happens when part of a child's intestines bulges through the abdominal wall inside the belly button. It shows up as a bump under the belly button. The ...