A glossary of commonly used terms in pediatrics and parenting, such as NICU, thimerosal, AAP, SIDS, OSA, LATCH, VCUG, etc. so that you can understand what your pediatrician is talking about if he or she commonly uses medical terminology.
Sun poisoning is a non-medical term for severe sunburn.
Learn about dry drowning and delayed drowning, including what symptoms to watch for if you think that your child may be at risk.
C. diff is the short hand way of talking about the Clostridium difficile bacteria which can cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a rare form of child abuse in which a caregiver makes up symptoms and signs so as to make it appear that their child is sick.
Kawasaki disease is a complex childhood illness that mainly affects young children under age five. Although not well known by parents, it is actually one of the leading causes of acquired heart disease in children.
Erb's Palsy is a form of Brachial Plexus injury, which is often caused by an injury to the nerves that controls the movement and feeling of the shoulder, arm, and hand.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a fairly common heart problem, occurring in 1 in every 500 people, and is a common cause of sudden death in young athletes.
Melamine is a chemical that is used in making many products that we use everyday, but can have devastating effects when it gets in food, as was seen in recent baby food and pet food recalls.
The AAP or American Academy of Pediatrics is a professional 'organization of 60,000 pediatricians committed to the attainment of optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.'
Adrenarche is the onset of androgen dependent signs of puberty in boys or girls, including pubic hair, axillary hair, acne, and adult body odor.
The Apgar score is a standardized method for evaluating a newborn's health once they are born and was designed by Dr. Virginia Apgar in 1952.
BMI is an abbreviation for body mass index, and is calculated with a child's height and weight using a simple formula, and can be used to determine if a child is overweight, underweight, or at a healthy weight.
The use of BPA has become controversial, as there is a concern that BPA can leach out plastic and into baby formula, juice, food, and other substances inside plastic containers made with BPA.
Dyscalculia is a type of learning disability in which children have problems with math.
Dysgraphia is a type of learning disability in which children have problems with writing, including handwriting and spelling.
Dyspraxia is a type of learning disability in which children have problems with motor skill development, especially fine motor skills.
ECI or early childhood intervention programs are federally funded state programs that help infants, toddlers, and preschool aged children with developmental delays and disability get therapy.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 'the FAAP designation after a pediatrician's name stands for Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatricians who maintain their FAAP designation have obtained board certification in pediatrics and made an ongoing commitment to lifelong learning and advocacy for children.'
Flu season is when you are mostly to get infected with the influenza virus each year.
A fundoplication is a surgical procedure in which the upper part of the stomach is wrapped around the lower part of the esophagus. This prevents the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus and out of a child's mouth.
GBS is an abbreviation for the Group B streptococcus bacteria, which according to the CDC 'is the most common cause of life-threatening infections in newborns.'
The GFCF diet (gluten-free casein-free diet) is advocated by some parents as an alternative treatment for children with autism.
An hemangioma, commonly called a strawberry or strawberry hemangioma by parents, is a type of vascular birthmark that typically appear in the first few weeks after a baby is born, can grow rapidly during an infant's first year of life, and then typically go away by the time the child is 5 to 8 years old.
Because of herd immunity, vaccines that children get can protect other people who aren't immune from vaccine preventable infections, either because they don't get vaccinated, their vaccine wasn't effective, or because they have become immunocompromised.
High-fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener that is used in soft drinks, breakfast cereals, cookies, snacks and many other baked goods.
IBS or irritable bowel syndrome is a common cause of chronic abdominal pain in children, especially older children and teens.
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is arthritis that occurs in children and teens. Like arthritis in adults, common symptoms of JRA can include joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and swelling.
The ketogenic diet is a specialized diet that is sometimes used as a treatment for young children with epilepsy who continue to have seizures despite taking traditional or standard anticonvulsant medications.
LATCH refers to the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system, which according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 'is designed to make installation of child safety seats easier by requiring child safety seats to be installed without using the vehicle's seat belt system.'
An MDI (metered dose inhaler) is a pressured canister that contains a child's asthma medicine.
Menarche is the onset of menstruation or the first period in girls during puberty.
Mercuritol is a make-believe or fictional substance that the lawyer in the legal TV drama "Eli Stone" says has caused the title character's son to have autism. It may be confused with thimerosal by some parents.
MRSA is an abbreviation for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria that has become resistant to many antibiotics, including methicillin, penicillin, amoxicillin, and cephalosporins.
A nebulizer, which is more commonly known as a "breathing machine" by parents, includes an air compressor to deliver an aerosolized breathing treatment to your child with asthma.
The NICU is also known as a neonatal intensive care unit and is the area of a hospital where sick babies, especially if they are premature, go once they are born.
Rickets is a condition that develops in children who do not have enough vitamin D in their diet, which leads to their having bones that don't mineralize properly — they have weak bones.
Occupational therapy (OT) refers to therapy that helps children perform everyday skills and activities.
OSA is an acronym for obstructive sleep apnea, which is a common problem in children, and is increasing being recognized as a cause of daytime attentional and behavioral problems.
PANDAS is an acronym for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections. It describes children who develop the sudden worsening of tics, obsessive/compulsive type behavior, or irritability following a strep infection, such as scarlet fever or strep throat.
Physical therapy (PT) refers to therapy that helps children that have problems with balance, coordination, muscle strength, and gross motor skills.
RAD is an acronym for reactive airway disease. It is term often used to describe younger children, especially infants and toddlers, who have recurrent episodes of coughing and wheezing.
Reye's syndrome is a rare condition that has been linked to viral infections and aspirin.
RSV is an acronym for the Respiratory Syncytial Virus, a common cause of colds and bronchiolitis for infants and children.
SIDS is an acronym for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, which refers to the unexplained death of a child under one year of age.
The stomach flu is actually not related to the flu, but can be caused by other viruses including rotavirus, which often includes symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and stomach cramps.
A T&A refers to a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, common pediatric surgical procedures in which a child's enlarged tonsils and adenoids are removed.
Thelarche is the onset of breast development in girls during puberty.
Thimerosal is a mercury containing preservative that was commonly found in vaccines since the 1930s. Although no link to autism or other conditions was ever found, because of concerns that thimerosal could be harmful and because alternatives to thimerosal were now available, according to the FDA, 'thimerosal has been removed from or reduced to trace amounts in all vaccines routinely recommended for children 6 years of age and younger, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine.'
The Tucker Sling is a medical device that helps keep babies and infants who have acid reflux positioned in an upright position, minimizing their chances of spitting up.
A Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) refers to an infection that involves the kidney (pyelonephritis), bladder (cystitis) or asymptomatic bacteriuria, when children have bacteria in their urine but no symptoms.
A VCUG or voiding cystourethrogram, along with a renal sonogram, is a test that is commonly done after a child has a urinary tract infection (UTI).
Walking pneumonia, a type of atypical pneumonia, is caused by the Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria.
