Health Library

Articles In This Section

• When and Where to Get Medical Care

  Should you head to the ER when your child is hurt or ill? What about an urgent care center? Different problems need different levels of care, and you have many options.

• What Can I Do About a Fever (High Temperature)?

  Fevers are usually not cause for alarm - they're the body's way of fighting infection. Here's what to do if your child has a fever.

• Taking Your Child’s Temperature

  All kids get a fever from time to time. Find out about taking your child's temperature, safely and accurately.

• Physical Therapy

  Doctors often recommend physical therapy for kids who have been injured or have movement problems from an illness, disease, or disability. Learn more about PT.

• Occupational Therapy

  Occupational therapy can help improve kids' cognitive, physical, and motor skills and build their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.

• How to Take an Oral Temperature

  Taking an oral temperature is easy in an older, cooperative child. Most kids can have their temperature taken this way when they’re about 4–5 years old. Here's how to do it.

• How to Take an Axillary (Armpit) Temperature

  The axillary (armpit) method is a convenient way to take a child's temperature, especially for kids who can't hold a thermometer in their mouths. Here's how to do it.

• How to Take a Rectal Temperature

  The best way to take a temperature in infants and young children is by taking a rectal temperature. Here's how to do it.

• Growing Pains

  Growing pains are leg pains and soreness that happen to kids at night, usually when they're 3 to 12 years old.

• Going to the Emergency Room

  Knowing what to expect when you need to take your child to the emergency room can help make it a little less stressful.

• Fever (High Temperature) In Kids

  Fevers happen when the body's internal "thermostat" raises the body temperature above normal. This is often the body's way of fighting infections.

• Canker Sores

  Many people regularly get bothersome canker sores in their mouths. Here's how to help prevent them - and make a kid who has one more comfortable.

• Stress Fractures

  A stress fracture is a tiny crack in a bone. They usually happen from repeating the same movement over and over.

• Splints

  A splint is a support device that keeps an injured area from moving. Doctors often use splints to hold bones and joints in place so they can heal after a fracture.

• Osgood-Schlatter Disease

  Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is one of the most common causes of knee pain in adolescents. It's really not a disease, but an overuse injury.

• How Broken Bones Heal

  Broken bones have an amazing ability to heal, especially in kids. Full healing can take time, but new bone usually forms a few weeks after an injury.

• Greenstick Fractures

  A greenstick fracture is a type of broken bone. The bone cracks on one side only, not all the way through the bone.

• Comminuted Fractures

  A comminuted fracture is a type of broken bone. The bone is broken into more than two pieces.

• Buckle Fractures

  A buckle or torus fracture is a type of broken bone. One side of the bone bends, raising a little buckle, without breaking the other side of the bone.

• Broken Bones

  Many kids will have a broken bone at some point. Here's what to expect.

• Migraine Headaches

  Migraine headaches can cause severe pain and other symptoms. Read about migraine causes, treatments, prevention tips, and lots more.

• Headaches

  Headaches affect kids as well as adults. Learn about common causes and when to talk to a doctor.

• Fainting

  Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness. Someone who has fainted will usually recover quickly.

• Functional Abdominal Pain

  Functional abdominal pain is lasting belly pain that doesn't respond to treatment. Many school-age kids have it at some point, but get better without lasting problems.

• Inflammation

  Inflammation is one way the body reacts to infection, injury, or other medical conditions. Many things can cause it.