Your Body

The digestive system breaks food down into basic nutrients that can be used by the body. As food moves through the digestive tract, it's broken down into parts and absorbed into the bloodstream.

The liver is in the upper right part of the abdomen. Most of it is protected by the ribs. The liver is a vital organ that has many jobs. This sheet details the function and anatomy of the liver.

A Chiari malformation is a problem in which a part of the brain at the rear of the skull bulges through a normal opening in the skull where it joins the spinal canal. Read on to learn more about Chiari malformation type I, the most common type.

Try to serve your child foods from all the food groups every day. Give your child many kinds of healthy foods from each group to help learn to like new tastes. And set some limits on food and drinks that have a lot of sugar.

Shopping for nutritious food is the first step in practicing healthy eating habits. Your child can help pick healthy foods with you. Read this to learn more about what to look for while you shop.

What can you do if you're not near a grocery store or farmer's market? You can find healthy choices in a corner market or convenience store. Even fast-food restaurants offer some good choices for the whole family.

Now you have healthy food choices in your house. How do you get your family to eat them? Kids can be picky eaters. And they may resist new tastes. But your whole family can learn to eat healthy foods together.

Cooking and eating together is the best way to teach kids healthy eating habits. Make mealtime family time. Let your child help prepare meals. Eat sitting together at the table. And turn off the TV and talk as a family.

Kids are never too old for active play. Moving around builds strong muscles and bones. And being active helps your teen stay at a healthy weight. Encourage any kind of activity your teen enjoys, whether it's alone or with friends.

Kids begin making their own food decisions as they grow older. You can't always have the final say. That's why you need to help your teen develop healthy eating habits. Start by following these suggestions.

Rubber (latex) or polyurethane condoms help protect you from AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They can also help prevent pregnancy. Here are instructions on correct use.

This stage of your life is when you change from a girl into a young woman. Puberty will last a few years. During puberty, your body will go through changes. And your feelings may take you on a roller coaster ride.

Each part of your body has its own job. You have certain parts that are protected on the inside of your body. When the time comes, they help create and support a growing baby. Other parts are on the outside. They are called genitals or private parts. You can see them with the help of a mirror.

A period is the result of a cycle that takes place inside a girl's body. This menstrual cycle makes it possible for women to have babies. The cycle begins with ovulation, when an egg is released and begins its journey.

When you first get your period, it's normal to be confused and wonder what's happening to you. If all your questions aren't answered here, talk with your healthcare provider, your parents, or someone else you trust.

You may notice signs that your period is coming for a week or 2 before it starts. Most of these signs go away soon after each period begins. You may have some, all, or none of the signs listed below.

During your period, pads and tampons absorb the flow and protect your clothes from stains. They come in many styles. Some absorb more than others. To learn how to use them, read the package instructions and check with an adult.

You can be prepared for common childhood symptoms and problems. Start by making a Kid Care Kit of healthcare supplies. Here's what you'll need.

Some children develop arches as their baby fat disappears. But some children don't. If not, it's still considered normal. Read on to learn more.

If your child's legs aren't completely straight, he or she may have bowlegs or knock knees. They are common in young children, but usually decrease as the child grows.

Making the decision to have sex is a complex choice. In school and around friends, you may be feeling pressure about it. But before you make a decision to have sex, make sure you think about what's at risk.

A child's bones heal the same way as an adult's. But since a child's bones are still growing, there are a few special concerns.

This sheet can help your child care for their cast.

Like any parent, you want your child to grow up healthy and happy. But for many children, unhealthy weight gain is a serious problem.

Have you heard of TV Zombies and Soda Monsters? If not, then listen up. These creepy creatures live in every town. They can sneak up at any moment. First the TV Zombie slows you down. Then the Soda Monster stuffs you with sugar. Together, they can make you gain too much weight. How do you stop them? Keep reading to find out!

Learn the differences in the skeletons of children and adults.

Learn how the skeleton bones develop from infants to teens.

You may be concerned that your child is eating less than he or she used to. This is often a normal stage of development for a growing child. This sheet helps you understand normal changes in your child's eating patterns.

"Your child has been waking up in the middle of the night with leg pain. These ""growing pains"" are common and normal in children. They typically occur in children between the ages of 3 and 5 and again just before adolescence, around the age of 8 to 12. There are things you can do to help your child feel better when they have growing pains. "

During a breath-holding spell, your child holds his or her breath for a while before briefly losing consciousness. Breath-holding spells often happen after a trauma or an emotional upset. They occur most often in children under age 3. Breath-holding spells can be scary for both parents and children. But they are not usually a serious problem. And they often stop by the time your child is 5 or 6 years old.

Your child has reached the stage of adolescence called puberty. During this stage, your child's body begins to develop and become sexually mature. This sheet tells you what to expect during this stage of your child's growth and development.

Your child has reached the stage of adolescence called puberty. During this stage, your child's body begins to develop and gain sexual maturity. This sheet tells you what to expect during this stage of your child's growth and development.

Puberty can be a confusing time for both parents and children. Both you and your child may be uncomfortable talking about sex and body changes. Here are some answers to some common questions you may have.

Menstruation can be a confusing and even embarrassing topic for girls and their parents to discuss. But it doesn't have to be. This sheet gives basic facts about periods. It also helps answer common questions a girl might have.

PCOS is an imbalance of hormones. It affects the ovaries. The ovaries are the organs that store a woman's eggs. PCOS can also affect the rest of the body. PCOS can lead to serious health issues if not treated. Treatment can't cure the problem, but it helps reduce symptoms and prevent health problems.

Puberty is the stage of adolescence when your child begins to develop physically into an adult. During puberty, a girl's breasts begin to grow. As the breasts develop, problems, like lumps or infections sometimes arise. These problems can be alarming. But they are common and rarely serious.

Teens on average need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep at night. But most don't get the amount of sleep they need. School, friends, homework, activities, television, and the computer may all have a higher priority for a teen than sleep. Sleep deprivation can have serious consequences for a teen's health and well-being.

Hearing is vital to your child's development. It affects how your child speaks, learns, and communicates. Here are common speech and hearing milestones for children.

A hearing test is typically done in newborns before they leave the hospital. This is part of the universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program. The goal of the program is to catch hearing problems as early as possible.

This is a summary of the preventive healthcare schedules for children and teenagers. The schedules are mainly for children who don't have special health risks.

Here are the screening tests and immunizations for infants from birth to age 2. Talk with your child's doctor to make sure this schedule is OK for your baby.

When a child has signs of puberty at an early age, it's called precocious puberty. This starts before age 8 in girls, and before age 9 in boys.

A baby who is smaller than average during pregnancy is called small for gestational age. Some babies are small because their parents are small. But most SGA babies are small because of growth problems that happen in pregnancy.

A child's growth not only involves the length and weight of his or her body, but also internal growth and development.

Girls experience puberty as a sequence of events, and their pubertal changes usually begin before boys of the same age. The first pubertal change in girls usually is breast development.

During puberty, a teen boy will grow taller and heavier, and hormones will lead to sexual maturity. Read on to learn what to expect.

Flat head syndrome (deformational plagiocephaly) is when a baby's head develops a lasting flat spot. The flat spot may be either on one side of the head or on the back of the head. This happens when a baby sleeps in the same position most of the time or because of problems with the neck muscles.