Caring for Your Child

Articles In This Section

• Helping Kids Cope With Stress

  Stress from things like school and social situations can feel overwhelming for kids. But by teaching healthy coping strategies, you'll prepare your kids to manage stress.

• Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias

  Experiencing and dealing with anxieties can prepare young people to handle the unsettling experiences and challenging situations of life.

• Marriage Advice for Parents of Children With Special Needs

  When you're in sync with your spouse, you're better able to care for your child. Here are 10 ways to strengthen your relationship.

• Body Basics: The Heart (Slideshow)

  Learn how this amazing muscle pumps blood throughout the body.

• The Medical Home

  A medical home is a new term in health care. But what does it mean? Find out what a medical home is and why your child needs one.

• How to Take Your Child’s Pulse

  Need to check your child's heart rate? Follow our guide and check with your doctor if you have questions.

• Words to Know (Heart Glossary)

  A guide to medical terms about the heart and circulatory system. In an easy A-Z format, find definitions on heart defects, heart conditions, treatments, and more.

• How to Shop for Health Insurance

  The government's healthcare marketplace, or exchange, is the new way to shop for health insurance. But just how do you find the best coverage and sign up? Get answers here.

• Prenatal Tests: Third Trimester

  Find out what tests may be offered to you during weeks 27 through 40 of pregnancy.

• Prenatal Tests: Second Trimester

  Find out what tests may be offered to you during weeks 13 through 26 of pregnancy.

• 504 Education Plans

  If your child has special needs in the classroom, he or she may be eligible for a government-supported learning plan.

• Prenatal Tests: First Trimester

  Find out what tests may be offered to you during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

• Teens Talk About Stress (Video)

  Here, teens talk about what stresses them out and how they cope.

• Support for Parents of Kids With Special Needs

  You might have more on your plate than most parents, but it doesn't mean you have to do it all alone. Here's how to ask for help and avoid caregiver burnout.

• Cardiac Catheterization

  This minimally invasive procedure helps doctors perform diagnostic tests on the heart and even treat some heart conditions.

• Financial Planning for Kids With Special Needs

  These 10 steps can help take the anxiety and worry out of your child's financial future and make sure that your child will be taken care of even after you're gone.

• Helping Teens Take Charge of Their Health Care

  It's important for parents to guide teens toward managing their own health care. Here are some ways to get started.

• How to Find Affordable Health Care

  Finding coverage for your kids may be difficult, but it's not impossible. Many kids are eligible for government or community programs, even if their parents work. Learn what resources are available to your family.

• Relaxation Techniques for Children With Serious Illness

  Help ease your child's pain and anxiety with these exercises, complete with step-by-step instructions.

• Taking Care of You: Support for Caregivers

  It's common to put your own needs last when caring for a child you love. But to be the best you can be, you need to take care of yourself, too. Here are some tips to help you recharge.

• Is a Clinical Trial Right for Your Child?

  Deciding to enroll your child in a clinical study will depend on its potential benefits and risks, as well as your child's particular illness. Learn more.

• When Your Child Needs a Heart Transplant

  If your child needs a heart transplant, you're probably feeling lots of emotions. Fortunately, many kids who undergo heart transplants go on to live normal, healthy lives.

• Blood Test: Prothrombin Time (PT)

  Doctors may order a PT test to evaluate a bleeding disorder, monitor the clotting ability of people with liver disease or vitamin K deficiency, or monitor the effects of blood-thinning medication.

• Ultrasound: Abdomen

  Doctors order abdominal ultrasounds when they're concerned about symptoms such as abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, abnormal liver or kidney function tests, or a swollen belly.

• Balancing Academics and Serious Illness

  When your child has a serious or chronic illness, it's hard to think beyond the next treatment. But with planning and communication, you can help your child balance treatment and academics.

• Giving Teens a Voice in Health Care Decisions

  Involving teens in their health care can help prepare them for managing it on their own as adults.

• Blood Test: Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT)

  A partial thromboplastin time (PTT) test is used to evaluate blood's ability to clot. It may be done as part of an evaluation for a bleeding disorder or to monitor the effects of blood-thinning medication.

• Blood Test: Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)

  Lactate dehydrogenase (also called lactic acid dehydrogenase, or LDH) is an enzyme found in almost all body tissues. The LDH test is generally used to screen for tissue damage.

• Caring for Siblings of Seriously Ill Children

  By being aware of what healthy siblings are going through and taking a few steps to make things a little easier for them, parents can help kids cope.

• Blood Test: Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase (GGT)

  Testing for GGT helps doctors evaluate diseases of the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts. It also can be used to check for liver damage related to ingestion of toxic substances or alcohol abuse.

• Blood Test: Glucose

  The blood glucose test, which measures the amount of sugar in the blood, may be done as part of a routine physical, to help diagnose type 1 or type 2 diabetes, or during pregnancy to check for gestational diabetes.

• X-Ray Exam: Abdomen

  An abdominal X-ray can help find the cause of many abdominal problems, such as pain, kidney stones, intestinal blockage, a hole in the intestine, or an abdominal mass such as a tumor.

• Blood Test: Phosphorus

  Doctors may order a phosphorus blood test to help diagnose or monitor kidney disorders, gastrointestinal and nutritional disorders, calcium and bone problems, or other conditions.

• Blood Test: Magnesium

  Doctors do this test to assess blood levels of magnesium, which helps the muscles and nerves function, the heart maintain normal rhythm, the bones stay strong, and the body process energy and make proteins.

• Blood Test: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)

  An erythrocyte sedimentation rate test (ESR) detects inflammation that may be caused by infection, some cancers, and certain autoimmune diseases.

• Blood Test: C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

  A C-reactive protein (CRP) blood test is used to identify inflammation or infection in the body.

• Blood Test: Bilirubin

  Doctors may order bilirubin blood tests for infants or older kids if they see signs of the skin taking on the yellow discoloration known as jaundice.

• Blood Test: Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST, or SGOT)

  An aspartate aminotransferase (AST) blood test is often part of an initial screening for liver disease.

• Blood Test: Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT, or SGPT)

  An alanine aminotransferase (ALT) blood test is often part of an initial screening for liver disease.

• Blood Test: Hemoglobin

  Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout the body. A hemoglobin test may be performed as part of a routine health exam, during a time of illness, or to detect anemia.

• Blood Test: Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)

  A comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) blood test helps evaluate kidney and liver function, sugar (glucose) and protein levels in the blood, and electrolyte and fluid balance.

• Blood Test: Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP)

  A basic metabolic panel (BMP), commonly ordered as part of routine medical exam, is a set of blood tests that gives information about sugar (glucose) and calcium levels, kidney function, and electrolyte and fluid balance.

• X-Ray Exam: Chest

  A chest X-ray is a safe and painless test that uses a small amount of radiation to take a picture of a person's chest, including the heart, lungs, diaphragm, lymph nodes, upper spine, ribs, collarbone, and breastbone.

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a safe and painless test that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the body's organs and structures.

• Helping Kids Handle Worry

  All kids to worry at times, and some may worry more than others. But parents can help kids manage worry and tackle everyday problems with ease. Find out how.

• Preparing Your Child for Anesthesia

  If your child needs to have an operation, you probably have plenty of questions, many of them about anesthesia.

• What Kids Say About: Handling Stress

  In a KidsHealth® KidsPoll, kids talked about what they stress about the most, how they cope with these feelings, and how they want parents to help.

• Blood Glucose Record

  If your child has diabetes, you can use this printable sheet to record his or her blood glucose levels.

• How Can I Find a New Doctor for My Child?

  Find out what the experts say.

• ECG (Electrocardiogram)

  Is your child scheduled to have an ECG? Find out how this test is performed and when you can expect the results.

• Basic Blood Chemistry Tests

  Doctors order basic blood chemistry tests to assess a wide range of conditions and the function of organs.

• When Your Baby Is Born With a Health Problem

  If you're expecting a baby, it's important to understand that certain health problems and complications can't be prevented, no matter how smoothly the pregnancy goes.

• Blood Test: Hepatic (Liver) Function Panel

  Liver function tests can help doctors determine if the liver has been damaged. They also can help diagnose viral infections (such as hepatitis or mononucleosis) and monitor medications that can cause liver-related side effects.

• Blood Test: Complete Blood Count

  The complete blood count (CBC) is the most common blood test. It analyzes red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

• Genetic Testing

  Advances in genetic testing have improved doctors' ability to diagnose and treat certain illnesses.

• FAQs: Prenatal Tests

  Find out what tests are available to keep you informed of your -- and your baby's -- health throughout pregnancy.

• Preparing Your Child for Visits to the Doctor

  When kids know they're "going to the doctor," many become worried about the visit. Here's how to help them.

• Complementary and Alternative Medicine

  Alternative medicine includes herbal remedies, teas, supplements, and acupuncture. Learn what the risks are and whether alternative therapies can help your child.

• Caring for a Seriously Ill Child

  Taking care of a chronically ill child is one of the most draining and difficult tasks a parent can face. But support groups, social workers, and family friends often can help.

• Financial Management During Crisis

  Although the emotional price of raising a seriously ill child can be devastating, it's only part of the picture. Even during this difficult time, you have to consider the financial implications.

• Managing Home Health Care

  When kids need intensive health care after they're discharged from the hospital, it's important that family and caregivers learn about the devices, equipment, and support they'll need.

• Finding a Doctor for Your New Baby

  Along with considering baby names and buying a crib, choosing the right health care provider should be on your to-do list when you're expecting.

• Childhood Stress

  Being a kid doesn't always mean being carefree - even the youngest tots worry. Find out what stresses kids out and how to help them cope.

• Understanding Depression

  Depression is the most common mental health disorder in the U.S. If you think your child is depressed, you'll want to learn more about what depression is, what causes it, and what you can do to help.

• Talking to Your Child’s Doctor

  Building a relationship with your child's doctor requires communication and reasonable expectations.

• Genetic Counseling

  Genetic counselors work with people who are either planning to have a baby or are pregnant to determine whether they carry the genes for certain inherited disorders. Find out more.

• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)

  Some kids may be eligible for individualized education programs in public schools, free of charge. Understanding how to access these services can help you be an effective advocate for your child.