The digestive process starts even before the first bite of food. Find out more about the digestive system and how our bodies break down and absorb the food we eat.

Learn which nutrients you need while pregnant or breastfeeding, and easy ways to add them to your diet.

What Is the Thyroid? The thyroid (say: THYE-royd) is a gland, which is an organ that makes special chemicals called hormones (say: HOR-moans). The thyroid is shaped like a little butterfly or bow tie ...

What Does the Heart Do? The heart is a pump, usually beating about 60 to 100 times per minute. With each heartbeat, the heart sends blood throughout our bodies, carrying oxygen to every cell. After ...

Vaccines protect kids from many dangerous diseases. Find out what vaccines your child needs to grow up healthy.

All kids get a fever from time to time. Find out about taking your child's temperature, safely and accurately.

Rashes can be caused by viruses and bacteria, medicines, heat, allergies, and many other things. Rashes often are only minor problems, but some can be serious and need medical treatment. What Are the ...

Sprains and strains are common injuries, especially for people who play hard or are into sports. Find out what they are and how to recuperate from one.

Sunburn can happen within 15 minutes of being in the sun, but the redness and discomfort may not be noticed for a few hours. Repeated sunburns can lead to skin cancer. Unprotected sun exposure is even ...

I know that at some point kids should drink nonfat milk as part of a low-fat diet. But what's the right age to switch kids from whole milk to nonfat milk? – Sheila Breast milk is the food of choice ...

A VP shunt is a small plastic tube that helps drain extra cerebrospinal fluid from the brain. Most VP shunts are placed to treat hydrocephalus.

The nose, throat, and lungs are just a few parts of the body that make up the respiratory system. They work together to bring oxygen into the body and take carbon dioxide (a waste product) out.