Asthma
What is asthma? Asthma is a disease that causes the airways of the lungs to sometimes squeeze closed. There is often excess mucus, and inflammation that can lead to scarring. How do I know if my child has asthma?…
Pediatric FAQs for ordinary people
Discussion about kids and their care in plain language
What is asthma? Asthma is a disease that causes the airways of the lungs to sometimes squeeze closed. There is often excess mucus, and inflammation that can lead to scarring. How do I know if my child has asthma?…
What is pinkeye? Also known as conjunctivitis, pinkeye is a catchall term for anything that makes the white parts of the eye pink. It can be anything from a little redness in one of the eyes to both eyes glued…
What is celiac disease? Celiac disease is also known as gluten sensitive enteropathy because it is the presence of gluten in the diet that causes it in certain people. The exact mechanism isn’t known, but we do know that gluten…
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, is not to be confused with IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome. IBD is a chronic condition that may include severe belly pain, blood in the stool and weight loss. IBS is also a chronic condition…
What is Reye syndrome? Reye syndrome is a potentially fatal condition where the brain and liver are unable to function. The body can’t break down certain fatty acids, which leads to a fatty liver, and too much ammonia in the…
What is otitis externa (OE)? While most people think of otitis externa as swimmer’s ear, there are actually a few different kinds of OE. The definition, then, is an inflammation (redness and irritation) of the ear canal. How do…
Depression is well known among adults. However, what many people don’t know, or don’t want to think about, is that it is also a disease of childhood and adolescence. In fact a little over 3% of children over 3 years…
A lot has been in the news lately about a ‘Kawasaki-like’ illness affecting children that may have had Covid-19. Most people are probably wondering what Kawasaki actually is, besides a motorcycle. Pediatricians are very familiar with it as one of…