What does it mean if my child has an innocent heart murmur? An innocent heart murmur does not pose a health threat. If your child has an innocent heart murmur, he or she can run, jump and play, with no limits on activity. Your child doesn't need to

[Read the Article]

  A heart murmur is a noise that the blood makes as it flows through the heart. It's like the noise water makes when it flows through a hose. Heart murmurs are common in children and are usually harmless.    What is an "innocen

[Read the Article]

Most babies with this condition have feeding problems right away. They may spit up a lot or have lots of bubbly mucus in their mouth. If your baby has a fistula, breathing may be hard. If your doctor thinks your baby has one of these conditions, an x

[Read the Article]

In babies with esophageal atresia (say "ee-sof-ah-gee-all at-tree-see-ah"), the esophagus doesn't connect to the stomach. It just ends in a pouch, so nothing the baby swallows gets into the stomach.   What is a tracheoesophageal fist

[Read the Article]

What will the future hold for my baby with Down syndrome? People with Down syndrome have some level of intellectual disability, which can be anywhere from mild to severe. Most are somewhere in between. No one can look at any infant and know how inte

[Read the Article]

This content was developed by the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities in CA (USC), MA (UMass Boston), IA (U of IA), KY (U of KY) and supported in part by the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabili

[Read the Article]

  Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling are two tests that can be used to look for Down syndrome during the first half of your pregnancy. However, these tests can sometimes cause a miscarriage. Therefore, these tests are used only when th

[Read the Article]

What is Down syndrome? Down syndrome is one of the most common genetic disorders. It's caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome number 21. This condition is called trisomy 21.   What problems do babies with Down syndrome have? D

[Read the Article]

In many important ways, children with Down syndrome are very much the same as other children. They have the same moods and emotions, and they like to learn new things, to play and enjoy life. You can help your child by providing as many chances as po

[Read the Article]

  Some of the most common physical signs of Down syndrome are folds at the inner corners of the eyes, a flat nose bridge, ears that are small or look lower than usual, curved "pinky" fingers and a gap between the big toe and the secon

[Read the Article]

What is Down syndrome? Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by an extra chromosome number 21. It's named after the doctor who discovered its cause.   How is Down syndrome diagnosed? Tests can be done before birth to find out if a baby

[Read the Article]

What other special care will my baby need? You may need to give your baby medicine for a heart defect or some other medical problem. Your doctor will probably want to check your baby more often to be sure that he or she is growing well and isn't dev

[Read the Article]

How will I take care of my baby with Down syndrome? Just like any other newborn, your baby will need to be fed, dressed, diapered, cuddled, held, talked to, played with and loved. However, your baby will probably have some health problems that will

[Read the Article]

What treatment is available for CAH? Right now, there is no cure for CAH, but there is treatment. Some people with mild CAH may not need to take medicine all the time. They may only need to take cortisol when they are sick. Other people need to take

[Read the Article]

What is congenital adrenal hyperplasia? A person with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (or CAH) doesn't make enough cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that helps your body in times of physical stress. If you have CAH, your adrenal gland tries to make co

[Read the Article]

As soon as a cleft is diagnosed, your doctor will probably send you to a special medical team that will help you and your baby. The team may include plastic surgeons; speech pathologists (for problems with talking); audiologists (for problems with he

[Read the Article]

  Infants with only a cleft lip can usually breast-feed. Infants with only a cleft palate can usually breast-feed if the gap in the palate is narrow. Infants with both cleft lip and cleft palate seldom can breast-feed, but breast milk or formul

[Read the Article]

How do cleft lip and cleft palate occur? Each of us had a cleft lip and cleft palate during the early weeks of development in our mother's womb. Normally, the tissues that form the palate (the roof of your mouth) and the upper lip come together in t

[Read the Article]

What is amblyopia? Amblyopia (say this: "am-blee-oh-pee-ah") is an eye problem that causes poor vision in children. The problem starts when the pathways of vision in the brain don't grow strong enough. Pathways are a little like roads--the

[Read the Article]

  Because there are several causes of amblyopia, the treatment must match the problem. Glasses or contact lenses fix some problems. Surgery may be needed for cataracts, droopy eyelids or crossed eyes. After the cause of the amblyopia is found,

[Read the Article]

What is amblyopia? Amblyopia (say this: "am-blee-oh-pee-ah") is an eye problem that causes poor vision in children. The problem starts when the pathways of vision in the brain don't grow strong enough. Pathways are a little like roads--the

[Read the Article]