failure to thrive: A term used to describe infants and children whose weight and height is significantly lower than other children in their age group and gender. Failure to thrive typically affects children in poor families that can’t provide them with sufficient nutrition.
food aspiration: Describes a circumstance when food is inhaled into the lungs instead of passing into the esophagus.
foramen ovale: An opening in the wall separating the heart's atrial chambers. The foramen ovale is normally only seen in fetuses.
gastroenteritis: Inflammation of the inner lining of the stomach and the intestines.
German measles: A disease similar to measles but with milder symptoms.
heat rash: A skin rash that consists of tiny red bumps and blisters. Common in infants, heat rash is caused by blocked sweat glands, which often occurs during hot or humid conditions.
hereditary: Describes any condition passed from one generation to the next.
herpes zoster: A localized infection of varicella-zoster (the chicken pox virus), resulting in a blistering and painful rash.
HIB vaccine: A vaccine preventing Haemophilus influenzae B, a potentially fatal childhood disease.
histamine: A compound released by the body in response to an allergen. Histamines cause muscle contractions, inflammation and blood vessel dilation.
hives: An extremely itchy skin rash caused by an allergic reaction.
Hodgkin’s disease: Also known as Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system.
hypoglycemia: Abnormally low blood sugar.
hypoplastic left heart syndrome: A congenital (present from birth) heart defect characterized by an enlarged left side of the heart that impairs blood flow.
hypoxemia: Abnormally low levels of oxygen in the blood.
infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS): A condition that develops due to the lack of surfactant in the lungs, generally due to the fact that the child has been born premature.
infantile seborrhoeic eczema: The medical term for cradle cap.
influenza: A family of contagious respiratory viral diseases. Influenza is commonly referred to as the "flu."
intussusception: The "telescoping" of one part of the intestine into a neighboring part, obstructing the bowels.
jaundice: Yellow skin caused by excess amounts of the waste byproduct bilirubin. In rare cases, jaundice may indicate liver disease.
juvenile diabetes: An alternate name for type 1 diabetes, the type of diabetes in which a person’s pancreas doesn’t produce insulin. Those with juvenile diabetes need to regularly receive insulin injections.
juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: As the most common type of childhood chronic arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis causes joint pain, inflammation and, in some cases, long-term joint degeneration.
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