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Language Development in Children

Language skills are essential to a child’s ability to communicate and develop. These skills enable children to engage with other people and learn from their surroundings and in the classroom. Language skills are about children learning the rules for putting words together in a way that will express their thoughts and feelings and understanding the meaning of both the written and spoken word.

11 Jan 2017

Outlook and Complications for Prune Belly Syndrome

A collection of three primary symptoms indicate the presence of this birth defect. These are the deficiency in the muscles of the abdomen which create the wrinkled appearance of the belly skin, the dilated urinary tract, as well as the undescended testicles in the male infants. Once Prune Belly syndrome has been diagnosed, treatment is prescribed based on the severity of the defect.

11 Jan 2017

Diagnosis of Molar Pregnancy

In a normal pregnancy, the product of conception is derived from the original genetic material, the 23 chromosomes, inside the sperm and the ovum. When these cells fuse, a zygote is formed. This single cell with 46 chromosomes repeatedly splits before differentiating into all the many types of cells and tissues that make up a pregnancy - the fetus and its surrounding membranes.

11 Jan 2017

PUVA Phototherapy (Psoralen plus UVA)

Phototherapy refers to when light is used as a therapy to treat a medical condition. For thousands of years, sunlight has been known to be beneficial as a treatment for certain skin disorders. Now, scientists know that it is the invisible, ultraviolet (UV) part of sunlight that improves skin conditions, particularly the ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. UV light reduces skin inflammation and can therefore benefit patients with inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis.

11 Jan 2017

Symptoms and Causes of Prune Belly Syndrome

Prune belly syndrome (PBS), also known as triad syndrome, is a birth disorder that combines three birth defects. The muscles of the abdomen are either missing altogether or partially developed, the urinary tract is not properly formed and in male infants one or both of the testicles does not descend into the scrotal sac.

11 Jan 2017

Prune Belly Syndrome

Prune belly syndrome is a birth defect affecting the abdominal muscles, genital organs and urinary tract of the infant. The muscles of the abdomen are poorly developed and the skin covering them is wrinkled, giving an appearance similar to a prune, hence the name of the disorder. The testicles of male infants may not have descended into the scrotal sack and the infant may also have a urinary tract malformation which often results in urinary infections.

11 Jan 2017

Hand Pain Management

The appropriate management of hand pain will usually depend greatly on the cause of the pain. Management techniques include physical therapy, at-home treatment, medications and surgery, each of which is described in more detail below.

11 Jan 2017

Benefits of Primary Health Care

Primary care is the first point of contact with health services and provides a point of entry for the entire health system. Research has shown that access to primary health services is linked to better health outcomes, including improvements in self-rated health and a reduction in all-cause mortality.

11 Jan 2017

Pneumocystis Pneumonia Treatment

Pneumocystis pneumonia is a serious disease caused by a fungal pathogen called Pneumocystis jiroveci. Although it is typically seen as an opportunistic infection linked to HIV and AIDS, it is also found in patients with hematologic malignancies, as well as in those receiving transplants and immunosuppressive therapy. It can even arise in patients without those risk factors.

11 Jan 2017

Pneumocystis Pneumonia Symptoms

Pneumocystis pneumonia is a condition caused by a microorganism called Pneumocystis jiroveci. This has been reclassified in recent years as a fungus due to its characteristic nucleotide sequences and cell wall composition. This type of pneumonia is mostly seen in immunocompromised patients, such as those with acquired immunodeficiency disorder (or AIDS).

11 Jan 2017

Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICH) Signs, Symptoms and Diagnosis

An intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a condition where bleeding occurs in the tissue or ventricles of the brain. Its onset is usually sudden and catastrophic, but at times can present with milder symptoms resembling an ischemic stroke. A hemorrhage deprives the brain of oxygen while putting pressure on the tissues nearby. The pooled blood which occurs inside the brain is called a hematoma. A hemorrhage can cause rapid brain damage or death.

11 Jan 2017

Treating Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM)

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are mycobacteriaceae species that can cause the onset of illness in humans. NTM are present naturally in the soil and air. But NTM are not the causative agents of tuberculosis. These bacteria have been classified as nontuberculosis to set them apart from the tuberculosis-causing bacteria, also known as the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.

11 Jan 2017

Roseola Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Roseola is a viral infection affecting young children. It causes a skin rash of a pinkish color after the child has been racked by high fever for a couple of days. The multiple rash spots tend to turn white when touched. Individual rashes may have lighter rings of pink around them like halos. The spots start out on the trunk of the body, then spread to the neck, face, arms, and legs. It is a fairly common disease in children between 3 months to 4 years of age.

11 Jan 2017

Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICH) Research and Clinical Trials

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the most devastating type of stroke for which there are no proven effective treatments other than conservative management and supportive care.

11 Jan 2017

Diagnosis and Treatment of Prune Belly Syndrome

Prune belly syndrome is a birth defect that involves three primary symptoms, which include poorly developed muscles of the abdomen, malformation of the urinary tract, and undescended testicles in male infants or malformation of external genitalia in female infants.

11 Jan 2017

Diagnosis and Treatment of Double Outlet Right Ventricle

Double outlet right ventricle (DORV) is a rare congenital disorder that has a yet to be identified cause and/ or predictive factor. Infants with DORV have great arteries (i.e. the aorta and pulmonary artery), which both arise from the right ventricle. This is in stark contrast to the normal anatomical left and right ventricular origin of the aorta and pulmonary artery, respectively.

11 Jan 2017

What is Degenerative Disc Disease?

Degenerative disc disease and the soreness in the back that it causes are a significant socioeconomic burden on the health care system. Studies have shown that back pain racks up costs greater than $100 billion annually in the U.S., including lost wages and reduced productivity.

11 Jan 2017

Coping with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

For families who have been affected by sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), it is essential that there is access to a strong support network to help them cope with the experience. Most parents have a period of grieving and may also experience feelings of guilt.

11 Jan 2017

Contributing Factors to Post-Adoption Depression

When an adoption comes through, it is usually a joyful and triumphant feeling that takes precedence over natural apprehensions and worries. The long slog of filling out endless forms and defending one’s ability to be a good parent before social workers, legal bodies, and the court, are finally over. The child one sought is now one’s own to raise and enjoy.

11 Jan 2017