What is a bulging fontanelle? The human skull is made of many bones, which join together to protect the brain. The lines at which they fuse are called sutures. When a baby is born, these sutures are not yet all firmly joined together. This allows the head to be a bit more flexible as it...

Thousands of Americans with disabilities have undergone sterilization procedures without providing informed consent. Beginning in the early 1900s, supporters of the eugenics movement sought to sterilize those with cognitive impairments in order to “cleanse” the human gene pool of “undesirable” traits. This was sanctioned by many state governments, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court...

La asfixia neonatal ocurre cuando un bebé no nacido no recibe suficiente oxígeno. Esto puede deberse a muchos factores, como la compresión o el prolapso del cordón umbilical, contracciones excesivas o problemas relacionados con negligencia médica (como la incapacidad de un médico para manejar adecuadamente el sufrimiento fetal). La asfixia neonatal puede causar una grave...

Una palabra mal entendida hizo que Willie Ramírez, de 18 años, se hiciera tetrapléjico. Era el año 1980. Ramírez estaba disfrutando de una noche cuando sintió un dolor repentino y agudo. “Sentí como si alguien me estuviera metiendo una aguja en la cabeza”, relató en una entrevista reciente para Health Affairs. Ramírez logró llegar de...

The back-to-school season is officially upon us! As part of our back-to-school series, we want to shed light on an important topic: handling seizures in the classroom. Disclaimer: This page was not written by medical professionals, and therefore this information is not to be taken as medical advice. For specific instructions regarding seizure care, ask...

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), previously called hyaline membrane disease (HMD), is a newborn health condition characterized by breathing difficulty. It occurs when a baby’s body does not produce enough of a lung-lubricating substance called surfactant. Babies with RDS have trouble expanding their lungs, which can make it difficult for them to take in oxygen and...

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, or G6PD, is an enzyme in the body that helps protect red blood cells from injury. When an individual suffers from G6PD deficiency, a genetic disease, he or she fails to make an adequate amount of this enzyme, thereby putting red blood cells in danger of cell death (1). While this condition ranges...

The STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) defines sensory processing as “the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses” (1). SPD occurs when these sensory signals are not detected by the brain or are not matched with the correct responses. This can cause...