Your doctor and/or nurse will probably: 1. Check your child's weight and height, calculate body mass index (BMI), and plot the measurements on a growth chart. 2. Check your child's blood pressure ...

What Are the Benefits of Reading to My Toddler? Kids who hear a lot of language do better in school. And being read to is one of the best ways to hear language. Reading to toddlers sets the foundation ...

What Does the Heart Do? The heart is a pump, usually beating about 60 to 100 times per minute. With each heartbeat, the heart sends blood throughout our bodies, carrying oxygen to every cell. After ...

Swimming in an open body of water (like a pond, lake, river, or ocean) is different from swimming in a pool. Even kids who are good swimmers need to take care. But injuries and even drownings can ...

The thyroid is a small gland below the skin and muscles at the front of the neck, at the spot where a bow tie would rest. It is soft, brownish red, and weighs less than an ounce. Its two halves (lobes ...

ALT, which is short for alanine aminotransferase or alanine transaminase, is a kind of protein called an enzyme. It helps the liver change food into energy. ALT used to be known as serum ...

What Does the Heart Do? The heart is a pump, usually beating about 60 to 100 times per minute. With each heartbeat, the heart sends blood throughout our bodies, carrying oxygen to every cell. After ...

What Is a Breath-Holding Spell? A breath holding spell is when a child holds their breath, usually after being angry, frustrated, startled, or in pain. Sometimes the breath holding leads to the child ...

What Should I Do if My Child Is Choking? If your child is choking, call 911 right away or have someone else call. If you are trained to do abdominal thrusts (also known as the Heimlich maneuver), do ...

What Is the Respiratory System? When we breathe, the respiratory system takes in oxygen and sends out carbon dioxide. The cells in our bodies need fresh oxygen to stay alive. As cells do their jobs, ...

Vomiting can be caused by many things, most commonly gastroenteritis (the "stomach flu"). Vomiting (throwing up) can cause kids to lose fluids, salts, and minerals, so it's important to make sure ...

What Steps Can Help Prevent Drowning? Drowning is a leading cause of death in children and teens. Among young children, most drownings happen in home pools or hot tubs. In teens, drowning is more ...