Birth Defects & Genetic Problems
Inside your spine is the spinal cord, which is like a closed tube made up of nerves. Spina bifida can occur when there is an opening in the cord.
Some kids are born without enough pigment to protect their skin and eyes. Find out more in this article for kids.
Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects - problems that happen while a baby is still growing inside his or her mother. Find out more in this article for kids.
What's up with Down syndrome? Find out in this article for kids.
What Is a Gene?
Why does one kid have green eyes while another kid's eyes are brown? It's all in the genes! Find out how genes work, what happens when there are problems with genes, and more.
What Is an Intellectual Disability?
Mental retardation is an old-fashioned term for problems with learning and developing. Find out more in this article for kids.
Marfan syndrome is a disorder that affects the body's connective tissue. This causes problems in many systems of the body, but especially the heart, eyes, and bones.
Emily's Story: Little Person, Big Life (Dwarfism)
Emily was adopted from Russia, where she was born with a type of dwarfism. In this video, she talks about how she handles the challenge of being smaller than most people.