Our medical experts answer some common - and not so common - questions from readers about parenting, diseases and conditions, the human body, and raising happy and healthy kids.
Click on any category below to view the articles:
General Health
- Are Certain Pets Better Than Others, Especially for Young Kids?
- Are Head Lice Becoming Resistant to Medications?
- Are Insect Repellents With DEET Safe for Kids?
- Are Kids With No Tonsils More Susceptible to Infections?
- Are Tanning Salons Safe?
- Can Birth Control Pills Help Treat Acne?
- Can Cake Cause Hives?
- Can I Prevent Ear Infections When My Child Swims?
- Can Tonsils Grow Back?
- Can Too Much Juice Discolor Teeth?
- Do Kids Feel the Cold Like We Do?
- Does Knuckle Cracking Cause Harm?
- Does My Son Need a Retainer?
- Does Sunlight Cause Problems With Chickenpox?
- How Can I Encourage Good Hygiene Habits?
- How Can I Find a New Doctor for My Child?
- How Can I Help My Teen Quit Smoking for Good?
- How Can I Protect My Family From Ticks?
- How Can I Tell if My Child Needs Stitches?
- How Do Doctors Test for Allergies?
- How Do I Care for My Baby's Teeth?
- How Do I Get My Child Tested for Lead Poisoning?
- How Do I Know Which Vaccines My Kids Need?
- How Long Does Acne Last?
- How Will I Know if My Child Has Trouble Hearing?
- Is Breast Cancer a Threat in the Teen Years?
- Is Earwax Removal Safe?
- Is My Child Too Sick to Go to School?
- Is My Son Old Enough to Brush His Teeth?
- My Child Is Worried About Wetting the Bed at a Sleepover - How Can I Help?
- Should I Start My Child on an Exercise Program?
- Should My Daughter Sleep in My Room After Having a Nightmare?
- What Can I Do About My Child's Bedwetting?
- What Can I Do to Ease My Child's Fear of Shots?
- When Should Kids Start Using Deodorant?
- When Will a Girl's Period Start?
- Who Should Decide When Kids Are Immunized?
- Why Do Doctors Perform Testicular Exams?
- Why Do Some Kids Have Freckles?
- Why Does My Child Get Nosebleeds?
Growing Up
- Can Birth Control Pills Help Treat Acne?
- How Can I Help My Healthy Daughter Realize She's Not Fat?
- How Can I Help My Son Feel Better About Not Having Facial Hair?
- How Can I Reassure My Daughter That She'll Get Her Period?
- How Long Does Acne Last?
- Is It Normal for an 11-Year-Old Boy to Fondle Himself?
- Is My Daughter Too Concerned With Her Looks?
- Is My Son's Voice Changing Too Soon?
- My 1-Year-Old Son Always Tries to Touch His Penis. Is This Masturbation?
- My Daughter Is Embarrassed About Her Period - How Can I Help Her?
- My Son Wants to Grow Taller - What Can I Tell Him?
- My Young Daughter Is Already Developing Breasts. Is This Normal?
- When Should I Intervene During Teasing?
- When Should Kids Start Using Deodorant?
- When Should My Daughter First Go to the Gynecologist?
- When Will a Girl's Period Start?
- Why Does Puberty Sometimes Happen Early?
Medical Conditions
- A Cold or Allergies: Which Is It?
- Are Kids With No Tonsils More Susceptible to Infections?
- Can Chronic Ear Infections Cause Long-Term Hearing Loss?
- Can Cold Sores Be Prevented?
- Can Endometriosis Make It Difficult to Have Children?
- Can Vision Problems Affect School Performance?
- Can a Child Have Fifth Disease More Than Once?
- Can a Person Get Mono Again?
- Could ADHD Be Hereditary?
- Does Ritalin Have Side Effects?
- Does Sunlight Cause Problems With Chickenpox?
- How Can I Teach My Daughter Tolerance?
- How Can Parents Help Kids Handle Teasing?
- How Did Chickenpox Get Its Name?
- How Do I Get My Child Tested for Lead Poisoning?
- How Do I Watch for Lyme Disease After Removing a Tick?
- How Long Will It Take to Heal a Broken Bone?
- If My Child Has Asthma, Can We Keep Our Pet?
- Is There a Connection Between Vaccines and Autism?
- Should Girls Who Aren't Sexually Active Be Vaccinated Against HPV?
- Should I Worry About the Way My Son Walks?
- What Is "Minimally Invasive" Surgery?
- What Is Informed Consent?
- What Is Pompe Disease?
- What's a Halo?
- Why Does Puberty Sometimes Happen Early?
Emotions and Behavior
- Can Playing Video Games Be Good for Kids?
- Can Vision Problems Affect School Performance?
- Don't Babies Have Separation Anxiety?
- How Can I Avoid Struggles With My Child About Going to School?
- How Can I Bring Peace to the "Witching Hours"?
- How Can I Get My Kids to Donate Old Toys?
- How Can I Help My Child Cope With Divorce?
- How Can I Help My Child Cope With a Friend's Death?
- How Can I Help My Child Deal With My Dating After Divorce?
- How Can I Help My Child Deal With a Breakup?
- How Can I Help My Child Deal With a Bully?
- How Can I Help My Child Develop Healthy Self-Esteem?
- How Can I Help My Child Overcome Shyness?
- How Can I Help My Daughter Cope With the Death of Her Father?
- How Can I Help My Healthy Daughter Realize She's Not Fat?
- How Can I Help My Son Feel Better About Being a Big Brother?
- How Can I Help My Son Wake Up in the Morning?
- How Can I Help My Toddler With Separation Anxiety?
- How Can I Help a Child Cope With a Parent's Suicide?
- How Can I Improve My Child's Eating Habits?
- How Can I Stop My Child From Biting Her Nails?
- How Can I Stop My Child From Sucking Her Thumb?
- How Can We Discourage Our Toddler From Biting?
- How Do I Handle the Transition When My Husband Returns From War?
- How Do I Help My Kids Deal With My Husband's Deployment?
- How Do I Tell My Son He's Adopted?
- How Influential Are We As Parents?
- Is Head Banging Normal?
- Is It Normal for Children to Hold Their Breath?
- Is My Daughter Too Concerned With Her Looks?
- Is My Son's Voice Changing Too Soon?
- Is There a Connection Between Vaccines and Autism?
- My Child Is Worried About Wetting the Bed at a Sleepover - How Can I Help?
- My Child May Have an Eating Disorder — What Can I Do?
- My Daughter Puts Herself Down — How Can I Help Her?
- My Son Is Being Deployed; How Do I Help My Other Kids Cope?
- My Teen Is Breaking Rules - What Can I Do?
- My Young Daughter Is Already Developing Breasts. Is This Normal?
- Should I Be Worried About My Child's Nightmares?
- Telling a Child About Deployment
- What Are the Symptoms of an Overeating Disorder?
- What Can Be Done About a Child Who Steals?
- What Can I Do About My Child's Bedwetting?
- What Can I Do to Stop My Child From Shoplifting?
- What Causes Night Terrors?
- Why Is My Child Anxious About Going to School?
Nutrition and Fitness
- Are Adult Diets OK for Kids, Too?
- Can Too Much Juice Discolor Teeth?
- Does Skim Milk Provide the Same Nutrients as Whole Milk?
- How Can I Calculate Calories From Fat?
- How Can I Get My Child to Eat Vegetables?
- How Can I Improve My Child's Eating Habits?
- How Should I Deal With a Picky Eater?
- I'm Breastfeeding. How Can I Lower My Baby's Food Allergy Risk?
- Is Caffeinated Soda OK for Kids?
- Is It Safe to Eat Food That's Dropped to the Floor?
- My Child May Have an Eating Disorder — What Can I Do?
- My Toddler Hates Vegetables. What Can I Do?
- Should I Start My Child on an Exercise Program?
- What Are the Symptoms of an Overeating Disorder?
- What Is a BMI Report Card?
- When Can Young Kids Start Exercising?
- When Should Kids Switch to Skim Milk?
- Why Does My Toddler Eat Dog Food?
- Why Is Breakfast So Important?
Pregnancy and Infants
- Are All X-Rays Risky During Pregnancy?
- Are Artificial Sweeteners OK to Consume During Pregnancy?
- Are Certain Medications Off-Limits During Pregnancy?
- Are Teeth Whiteners Safe for Pregnant Women?
- Can I Drink Tap Water While I'm Pregnant?
- Can I Exercise During Pregnancy?
- Can I Feed My Baby Honey?
- Can I Fly While I'm Pregnant?
- Can I Have a Vaginal Birth If I Had a Previous C-Section?
- Can I Keep My Cat Now That I'm Pregnant?
- Can I Request to Have a C-Section?
- Can I Still Drink Coffee Now That I'm Pregnant?
- Can I Take Long, Hot Showers While I'm Pregnant?
- Can I Use Bug Killers and Repellents During Pregnancy?
- Can I Use Paint and Household Chemicals While Pregnant?
- Can Lead Affect My Unborn Baby?
- Can Pregnant Women Do Anything to Reduce or Prevent Swollen Ankles?
- Can Pregnant Women Use Microwaves?
- Disposable Diapers or Cloth Diapers: How Do I Decide?
- Do Computer Monitors Have Any Effect on Pregnancy?
- Does My Toddler Have a Language Delay?
- Don't Babies Have Separation Anxiety?
- Hair Coloring During Pregnancy: No-No or No Big Deal?
- How Can I Be Sure My Baby Stays on Her Back While She Sleeps?
- How Can I Help My Son Feel Better About Being a Big Brother?
- How Can I Make Teething Easier?
- How Can I Overcome Breastfeeding Difficulties?
- How Can I Relieve My Pregnancy Leg Cramps?
- How Can I Wean My Reluctant 2-Year-Old?
- I'm Breastfeeding. How Can I Lower My Baby's Food Allergy Risk?
- I'm Pregnant. Can I Lower My Baby's Food Allergy Risk?
- Is Breastfeeding a Good Form of Birth Control?
- Is Cosleeping a Good Idea?
- Is It Ever OK for Pregnant Women to Take Recreational Drugs?
- Is It OK to Have an Occasional Drink During Pregnancy?
- Is It OK to Use Self-Tanner During Pregnancy?
- Is My Baby Ready for Shoes?
- Is Sex Safe During Pregnancy?
- Is There Any Relief From Morning Sickness?
- Is There a Remedy for Heartburn During Pregnancy?
- Is it Safe to Breastfeed if I Have the Flu?
- Should I Avoid Certain Foods During Pregnancy?
- Should I Avoid Certain Types of Exercise During Pregnancy?
- Should I Wait After a Miscarriage to Try Again?
- What Are the Risks of Smoking During Pregnancy?
- What Can I Do About Colic?
- What Can I Do to Relieve My Pregnancy Backaches?
- What Can I Do to Stop Passing Gas During My Pregnancy?
- What Does "High-Risk" Pregnancy Mean?
- What Is Gestational Diabetes?
- What Is the Risk for a Second Ectopic Pregnancy?
- What Is the Triple Screen Test?
- What Positions Should Pregnant Women Sleep In?
- What Precautions Should I Take While Trying to Conceive?
- What Toys Can Help Improve a Baby's Motor Skills?
- What if My Baby Isn't Born by My Due Date?
- When Can Babies Begin Drinking Cow's Milk?
- When Can I Take My Newborn Out in Public?
- When Can My Baby Start Drinking Juice?
- When Can My Baby Start Eating Solid Foods?
- Why Are Pregnant Women Told to Avoid Feta Cheese?
- Why Do I Get Nosebleeds Now That I'm Pregnant?
- Why Do Many Pregnant Women Pull Ligaments, Muscles, and Joints?
- Why Do Some Pregnant Women Get Varicose Veins?
- Why Do Some Pregnant Women Have Trouble Breathing?
Parenting
- Am I 'Too Tough' When I Discipline My Kids?
- Are My Kids Watching Too Much TV?
- How Can I Bring Peace to the "Witching Hours"?
- How Can I Help My Child Develop Healthy Self-Esteem?
- How Can I Wean My Reluctant 2-Year-Old?
- How Can Parents Discipline Without Spanking?
- How Do I Know Which Vaccines My Kids Need?
- How Influential Are We As Parents?
- How Should I Deal With a Picky Eater?
- How Should I Set an Allowance for My Child?
- My Teen Is Breaking Rules - What Can I Do?
- What Can I Do to Ease My Child's Fear of Shots?
- What Can I Do to Stop My Child From Shoplifting?
- What's a Teaching Hospital?
- When Should I Intervene During Teasing?
- When Should Kids Start Receiving an Allowance?
Safety
- Are Tanning Salons Safe?
- How Can I Ensure My Teen's Safety on the Internet?
- How Can I Protect My Child From Strangers Online?
- How Can I Protect My Family From Ticks?
- How Can Kids Avoid Spider Bites?
- How Can We Tell if Our Home's Paint Contains Lead?
- How Do I Get My Child Tested for Lead Poisoning?
- When Can a Child Switch to a Regular Seatbelt?
- Why Does My Toddler Eat Dog Food?
School
- Can Vision Problems Affect School Performance?
- How Can I Avoid Struggles With My Child About Going to School?
- How Can I Help My Child Deal With a Bully?
- How Can I Help My Teen Prepare for a Medical Career?
- How Do I Know Which Vaccines My Kids Need?
- Is My Child Too Sick to Go to School?
- Who Should Decide When Kids Are Immunized?
- Why Is My Child Anxious About Going to School?
Sexual Development
- How Can I Reassure My Daughter That She'll Get Her Period?
- Is It Normal for an 11-Year-Old Boy to Fondle Himself?
- My 1-Year-Old Son Always Tries to Touch His Penis. Is This Masturbation?
- Should Girls Who Aren't Sexually Active Be Vaccinated Against HPV?
- When Should My Daughter First Go to the Gynecologist?
- When Will a Girl's Period Start?