Information to keep your family healthy, from nutrition through to fighting bacterial or viral infections, or preparing for surgery.
The common cold
Young children can have five to ten colds a year. Find out what you can do about the common cold.
Streptococal infection
Kids with strep usually have a very sore throat and a fever. Strep germs are very contagious and are best avoided by washing hands and staying away from sick people
Encephalitis
Encephalitis literally means inflammation of the brain and can be a serious illness, particularly in young children and babies
Preventing cold sores
Cold sores are very contagious blisters that develop around the mouth and lips. Find out how to prevent your child from catching them.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
About fifty percent of young adults in New Zealand have been infected with CMV. Once you get CMV, you have it for life
Diagnosing and treating appendicitis
Appendicitis can be dangerous so it's important that you know what to look out for.
Adenovirus
Adenovirus is a group of common viruses that attack the respiratory tract, eyes, gastrointestinal tract, and bladder.
What to know about hives
Most mums have heard of hives, but many of us haven’t actually seen a real-life case of hives. Although we don’t often refer to hives as a rash, that’s exactly what it is – a rash that looks like big, round, red welts (sometimes called weals or swellings). The medical term for hives is urticaria.
Recognising broken bones
If your child is displaying any of the following symptoms below, or if you’re worried, seek medical advice
Treating head injuries
Our top-heavy little munchkins seem to be constantly banging their head on something. So how can you know when the injury is more serious and needs medical attention?
How to remove splinters
Kids are particularly prone to getting splinters, especially if they spend a lot of time outdoors without shoes on.
Amoebic dysentery or ‘traveller’s diarrhoea’
Amoebic dysentery, also known as traveller's diarrhoea, is one of the many types of gastroenteritis
Lyme disease
There is some doubt whether this illness occurs in New Zealand, but if you're travelling you'll want to be careful
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis, also called pinkeye, is an infection or inflammation of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane covering the white part of the eye
The difference between hayfever and a cold
When your child is sneezing, sniffing and spluttering, do you automatically think it's another cold, or could it be hayfever?
Rubella treatment and prevention
Find out what you need to know about the prevention and treatment of the rubella virus.
All about measles
Measles is a virus that can cause serious complications in very young children, and is also sometimes called rubella.
How to avoid warts
Warts are a common skin complaint that are common in children. Find out how to avoid catching warts and types of warts including plantar warts .
All about fifth disease
Fifth disease is another name for Parvovirus B19, a common viral illness in children.
Child sickness: bacterial or viral?
Bacterial and viral infections often produce the same symptoms but are not caused by the same mechanisms.
Undescended testicle repair
An undescended testicle, called cryptorchidism, happens in roughly two to five percent of all male births.
Adenoidectomy surgery
Sometimes, the adenoids become problematic and may swell or become infected. If this happens a lot, your child may need to have them removed
All about spina bifida
Spina bifida is a serious birth defect that affects the spine, but can be minimised by taking folic acid during pregnancy
All about phenylketonuria
Find out what you need to know about phenylketonuria including treatment and management.
Marfan syndrome
Marfan syndrome is a condition that affects the body’s connective tissue. Find out what you need to know about the syndrome
Albinism in children
Albinism is a rare genetic disorder that affects roughly one in 17,000 New Zealanders. Kids with albinism generally have lighter than usual hair
Childhood leukemia
Leukemia is the most common of all cancers in children, with most cases occurring in children under 10 years.
Brain tumours in children
Brain cancer, or brain tumors, are growths inside the brain. Brain and spinal cord tumors are the second most common cancers in children.