Health Library A to Z

L

• Apnea of Prematurity
It’s a cliché that many new parents need to reassure themselves that the baby is still breathing. But what if your baby really is having breathing problems? A breathing condition called apnea of prematurity affects some babies, especially if they’re born early. But you can learn what symptoms to look for.

• Congenital Limb Defects
Congenital limb defects occur when a portion or the entire upper or lower limb fails to form normally when the baby is developing in the uterus.

• Lacerations With Stitches
Stitches, also called sutures, are special types of thread that hold the edges of a wound together while it heals.

• Lacerations Without Stitches
A laceration is tear or opening in the skin caused by an injury. Some lacerations are small and need only minor treatment at home.

• Lactose Intolerance in Children
Detailed information on lactose intolerance, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

• Large for Gestational Age (LGA)
The average baby weighs about 7 pounds at birth. About 10 percent of all babies weigh more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces. Rarely do babies weigh over 10 pounds.

• Latex Allergy in Children
Some children develop an allergy to latex. Symptoms include watery or itchy eyes, wheezing, skin rash, and itching of the skin.

• Laundry Detergent Packs Pose Poisoning Threat to Toddlers
The colorful, liquid-filled pods look like toys or treats, experts say

• Lawn Mower Injuries Often Caused by Distraction
Docs offer safety tips to protect fingers, hands and feet

• Lax Parents, Dealers May Lead to ATV Crashes, Study Suggests
Licensing, training needed to restrict use by children, researcher says

• Lead Levels Down in U.S. Kids, But Asthma Cases Rising: EPA
Report looks at the environment's effect on children's health

• Lead Poisoning in Children
Lead poisoning is a totally preventable disease. Children ages 1 to 3 who live in low-income housing built before 1978 are especially at risk.

• Learning Disorders
Learning disorders are sometimes called learning disabilities. Most children with learning disorders have normal intelligence, but they have difficulty with reading, math, or another academic area.

• Leave No Children on Their Behinds
As concern grows over children's harmful weight, physical education gets less and less emphasis in many schools.

• Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease
This disease is a temporary condition that causes the hip joint to become painful and stiff.

• Lengthy Seizures May Delay Mental Development, Study Suggests
Convulsive status epilepticus could have long-lasting impact for infants

• Letting Kids Grow Up…At Their Own Pace
As much as parents might want to hurry their little ones to the next stage of development, most children follow the same general growth and development pattern that can't be changed much.

• Leukemia
Detailed information on leukemia in childhood, including symptoms, staging, diagnosis, and treatment

• Lice
Detailed information on lice, including diagnosis and treatment

• Limited Radiation May Help Some Kids With Lymphoma
Therapy increased progression-free survival in children who responded well to chemo, study says

• Lipsticks, Glosses Contain Toxic Metals: Report
Children should not play with these products, researcher says

• Listeria Food Poisoning Hits Elderly, Moms-to-Be Hardest: CDC
Most recent cases linked to soft cheeses, produce

• Little Evidence Organic Food Better in Long Run: Report
But pediatricians' group acknowledged that lower pesticide levels may be better for growing brain

• Little Known on How to Best Help Kids After Trauma
In wake of Newtown shooting, review finds more evidence needed on what to do when children can't cope

• Little League Goes to Bat for Safety
Pitchers ages 10 and under can throw no more than 75 pitches a game. After that, they can't pitch until they rest for four days.

• Liver Transplantation in Children
Detailed information on liver transplantation in children

• Living Near Major Roadways in Pregnancy Tied to Respiratory Woes in Children
Infants may have higher risk for conditions like pneumonia, study found

• Living With Congenital Heart Disease
Detailed information for children living with a congenital heart disease

• Lordosis
A spine affected by lordosis has a curve in the vertebrae in the lower back area, giving the child a "swayback" appearance.

• Low Birthweight
If your baby’s birthweight was lower than normal due to premature birth or some other factor, don’t worry. With proper medical attention and your loving care, your baby will soon catch up with the other children in the nursery.

• Low Prenatal Iodine May Affect Child's Brain Development
Mothers with deficiency had kids with lower IQs and reading ability, researchers say

• Low Vitamin D in Early Pregnancy Tied to Lower Birth Weight
Researchers looked at full-term births from 50 years ago

• Lower Drinking Age May Raise Chances of Bingeing Later
Study found those who lived in states where it was legal to drink at age 18 drank heavily more often as adults

• Lower Respiratory Disorders
Detailed information on lower respiratory disorders in children

• Low-Income, Minority Parents More Open to HPV Vaccine for Girls, Study Says
White, middle-class parents less accepting of the cervical cancer shot, researchers contend

• Lung Transplantation in Children
Detailed information on lung transplant, including why a lung transplant is recommended, what is involved in lung transplant surgery, and long-term outlook for a child after a lung transplant

• Lupus May Be Linked to Serious Pregnancy Complication
This autoimmune disease appears to raise risk for preeclampsia

• Lying and Stealing
Lying and stealing are common, but inappropriate, behaviors in school-aged children. Most of the time these behaviors will be outgrown.

• Lyme Disease in Children
Lyme disease is the leading cause of all insect-borne illness in the United States. It is a year-round problem, although April through October is considered tick season.

• Lymphadenopathy
Detailed information on lymphadenopathy, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

• Lymphatic Malformations
Detailed information on lymphatic malformation, including cause, symptom, diagnosis, and treatment

• Lymphatic Masses
Detailed information on lymphatic masses in children

• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE or Lupus) in Children
Lupus is a disease characterized by periodic episodes of inflammation of and damage to the joints, tendons, other connective tissues, and organs.

• Testing and Lab Procedures for the Newborn in Intensive Care
It’s important that babies in intensive care undergo regular testing so they get the important care they need. Here are common seven lab tests used in the newborn intensive care unit. Make sure to ask your baby’s doctor about them.