Child & Teen Health Archive

Having trouble getting younger kids ready to leave home on time in the morning? Try these strategies to motivate them to accomplish morning-routine tasks.

If you’re a parent, part of your role is to prepare your children for adult life by teaching and otherwise encouraging independence. But how does one start to do this?

When reading to a young child, does it matter whether the book is a physical book or in some electronic form? One small study did detect a difference.

If you think your child may have a disability or problem with development, it’s important to seek help as soon as possible. Talk to your doctor, and seek an evaluation, if needed.

Trauma from experiencing a natural disaster can have long-term effects on the mental and physical health of children. Supportive parents, teachers, and other adults can help children build resilience.

Most children have an occasional headache, but some children get recurrent headaches. These often run in families and may be migraine or tension headaches or might stem from other causes.

Wondering how a teen or young adult can smoothly smoothly transition from seeing a pediatrician to a medical practice that treats adults? Making plans and taking these steps will help.

Ask the doctor

Q. My 2-year-old grandson has a heart murmur. His pediatrician says it's likely nothing serious and will probably disappear when he's older. What causes heart murmurs in children? Are they different than those found in adults?

A. A heart murmur refers to a noise heard through a stethoscope that occurs between the heart's regular beats. Often described as a whooshing sound, murmurs are caused by turbulent blood flow. They can be separated into two categories: functional (also called innocent or benign murmurs) and structural (also known as pathologic murmurs).

If a parent thinks a child might have autism, it helps to get a definitive diagnosis as early as possible, since the earlier treatment can begin, the better it is for the child. But at what age can a reliable diagnosis be made?