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- Parenting Teens (12-18 Years)
- Teen Growth and Development
- Growth and Development, Ages 15 To 18 Years
Content Map Terms
Pregnancy & Parenting Categories
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Planning Your Pregnancy
-
Fertility
- Ovulation and Fertility Pregnancy Planning
- Ovulation and Transport of Egg
- Find Your Ovulation Day
- Infertility: Problems With Ovulation
- Ovulation
- Superovulation
- Interactive Tool: When are you most fertile?
- Infertility
- Infertility: Emotional and Social Support
- Pregnancy after Age 35
- Infertility: Ethical and Legal Concerns
- Infertility: Factors That Affect Treatment Success
- Infertility: Setting Limits on Testing
- Infertility: Problems With the Man's Reproductive System
- Infertility: Problems With Fallopian Tubes
- Infertility: Problems With the Uterus and Cervix
- Cancer Treatment and Infertility
- Fertility Problems: Should I Be Tested?
- Infertility Tests
- Fertility Drugs
- Infertility
- Fertility Problems: Should I Have a Tubal Procedure or In Vitro Fertilization?
- Insemination for Infertility
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection for Infertility
- Infertility Treatment for Women With PCOS
- In Vitro Fertilization for Infertility
- Infertility: Setting Limits on Treatment
- Infertility: Questions to Ask About Medicine or Hormone Treatment
- Infertility: Questions to Ask About Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Infertility: Should I Have Treatment?
- Insemination Procedures for Infertility
- Gamete and Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer for Infertility
- Varicocele Repair for Infertility
- Fallopian Tube Procedures for Infertility
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
- Luteinizing Hormone
- Progesterone
- Sperm Penetration Tests
- Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Charting
- Your Health When Planning to Become Pregnant
- Ending a Pregnancy
- Adoption
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Fertility
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Pregnancy
- Healthcare Providers During Pregnancy
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Your Health During Pregnancy
- Foodborne Illness During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Seat Belt Use
- Pregnancy: Chemicals, Cosmetics, and Radiation
- Travel during Pregnancy
- Lupus and Pregnancy
- Multiple Sclerosis and Pregnancy
- Cancer During Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Chronic High Blood Pressure
- Schizophrenia and Pregnancy
- Depression During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Epilepsy
- Obesity and Pregnancy
- Pregnancy
- Dental Care During Pregnancy
- Immunizations and Pregnancy
- Quick Tips: Healthy Pregnancy Habits
- Massage Therapy during Pregnancy
- Sex During Pregnancy
- Leg Cramps During Pregnancy
- Medicines During Pregnancy
- Swelling During Pregnancy
- Electronic Fetal Heart Monitoring
- Depression: Should I Take Antidepressants While I'm Pregnant?
- Pregnancy: Dealing With Morning Sickness
- Back Pain During Pregnancy
- Abnormal Pap Test While Pregnant
- Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy
- Acupressure for Morning Sickness
- Automated Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
- Braxton Hicks Contractions
- Caffeine During Pregnancy
- Exercise During Pregnancy
- Fatigue During Pregnancy
- Fever During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Pregnancy: Changes in Bowel Habits
- Pregnancy: Healthy Weight Gain
- Pregnancy: Hemorrhoids and Constipation
- Pregnancy: Pelvic and Hip Pain
- Pregnancy: Ways to Find Your Due Date
- Estrogens
- Symptoms of Pregnancy
- Sexually Transmitted Infections During Pregnancy
- Ginger for Morning Sickness
- Heartburn During Pregnancy
- Nausea or Vomiting During Pregnancy
- Urinary Problems During Pregnancy
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Body Changes During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Varicose Veins
- Pregnancy: Hand Changes
- Sleep Problems During Pregnancy
- Managing Emotional Changes During Pregnancy
- Breast Changes During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Hair Changes
- Pregnancy: Belly, Pelvic and Back Pain
- Pregnancy: Stretch Marks, Itching, and Skin Changes
- Pregnancy: Changes in Feet and Ankles
- Pregnancy: Vaginal Discharge and Leaking Fluid
- Interactive Tool: From Embryo to Baby in 9 Months
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Your First Trimester
- Check-ups and Tests In the First Trimester
- Embryo and Fetal Development In the First Trimester
- Mothers' Physical Changes in the First Trimester
- Normal Pregnancy: First Trimester
- Week 8 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 8 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 12 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 12 weeks of pregnancy
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Your Second Trimester
- Mothers' Physical Changes During the Second Trimester
- Check-ups and Tests in the Second Trimester
- Normal Pregnancy: Second Trimester
- Week 16 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside /
- Fetal development at 16 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 20 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 20 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 24 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside /
- Fetal development at 24 weeks of pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Kick Counts
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Your Third Trimester
- Check-ups and Tests in the Third Trimester
- Fetal Development in the Third Trimester
- Mothers' Physical Changes in the Third Trimester
- Prenatal Classes in the Third Trimester
- Writing Your Birth Plan or Wishes
- Normal Pregnancy: Third Trimester
- Week 28 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 28 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 32 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 32 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 36 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 36 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 40 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 40 weeks of pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Dropping (Lightening)
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Risks and Complications During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy-Related Problems
- Gestational Diabetes
- HELLP Syndrome
- Gestational Diabetes: Dealing With Low Blood Sugar
- Insulin Injection Areas for Gestational Diabetes
- Gestational Diabetes: Giving Yourself Insulin Shots
- Gestational Diabetes: Counting Carbs
- Gestational Diabetes: Checking Your Blood Sugar
- Pre-Eclampsia: Expectant Management
- Pregnancy: Hot Tub and Sauna Use
- Pregnancy After Weight-Loss (Bariatric) Surgery
- External Cephalic Version (Version) for Breech Position
- Bedrest for Preterm Labour
- Multiple Pregnancy: Preterm Birth
- Multiple Pregnancy: Should I Consider a Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction?
- Multiple Pregnancy: Twins or More
- Twin Pregnancy Types
- High-risk Pregnancy
- Rh Sensitization during Pregnancy
- Post-Term Pregnancy
- Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding
- Intrauterine Fetal Blood Transfusion for Rh Disease
- Miscarriage
- Abruptio Placenta
- Anemia During Pregnancy
- Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Pregnancy /
- Asthma During Pregnancy
- Bedrest in Pregnancy
- Pre-Eclampsia: Checkups and Monitoring
- Functional Ovarian Cysts /
- High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
- Laparoscopic Ovarian Drilling for PCOS
- Low Amniotic Fluid
- Low-Lying Placenta Versus Placenta Previa
- Miscarriage: Should I Have Treatment to Complete a Miscarriage?
- Molar Pregnancy
- Passing Tissue During Pregnancy
- Placenta Previa
- Polyhydramnios
- Pre-Eclampsia
- Eclampsia (Seizures) and Pre-Eclampsia
- Special Health Concerns During Pregnancy
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Subchorionic Hemorrhage
- Endometriosis
- Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy
- Vaginal Bleeding During Pregnancy
- Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
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Emotional Health and Support During Pregnancy
- Getting Help for Perinatal Depression
- Coping with Losing a Baby
- Depression and Anxiety During Pregnancy
- Domestic Abuse While You Are Pregnant
- How Support Teams Can Help During Pregnancy
- Partner Support during Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Relationship Changes
- Stress While You Are Pregnant
- Tips for Pregnant Parents
- Alcohol and Other Drug Use During Pregnancy
- Interactive Tool: What Is Your Due Date?
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Labour and Birth
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Planning Your Delivery
- Childbirth Classes
- Childbirth: Labouring in Water and Water Delivery /
- Childbirth: Perineal Massage Before Labour
- Choosing Where to Give Birth Hospital or Home
- Doulas and Support During Childbirth
- Making a Birth Plan
- Packing for Birth at a Hospital
- Pregnancy: Deciding Where to Deliver
- Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC)
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Stages of Labour
- Labour and Delivery
- Cervical Cerclage to Prevent Preterm Delivery
- First Stage of Labour - Early Phase
- First Stage of Labour Active Phase
- First Stage of Labour Transition Phase
- Information on Fourth Stage of Labour
- Information on Second Stage of Labour
- Information on Third Stage of Labour
- Preterm Labour and Short Cervix
- Preterm Labour
- Preterm Labour: Testing for Fetal Fibronectin
- Preterm Prelabour Rupture of Membranes (pPROM)
- Telling Pre-Labour and True Labour Part
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During Labour
- Breathing Techniques for Childbirth
- Caesarean Section
- Cervical Effacement and Dilatation
- Cervical Insufficiency
- Childbirth: Epidurals
- Childbirth: Opioid Pain Medicines
- Childbirth: Pudendal and Paracervical Blocks
- Childbirth: Strep Infections During Delivery
- Comfort Positions Labour and Birth
- Epidural Anesthesia
- Epidural and Spinal Anesthesia
- Episiotomy and Perineal Tears
- Epistiotomy Vacuum and Forceps During Labour and Birth
- Fetal Monitoring During Labour HY
- Labour Induction and Augmentation
- Local Anesthesia for Childbirth
- Pain Relief Options Labour and Birth
- Postpartum Bleeding
- Postpartum: First 6 Weeks After Childbirth
- Postural Management for Breech Position
- Practicing Breathing Techniques for Labour
- Spinal Block for Childbirth
- Stillbirth
- VBAC: Labour Induction
- VBAC: Participation During Birth
- VBAC: Uterine Scar Rupture
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After Labour and Care for New Moms
- Alcohol and Smoking After Pregnancy
- Baby Blues
- Depression: Managing Postpartum Depression
- Fitness: Staying Active When You Have Young Children
- Sex After Childbirth
- Support Teams for New Parents
- Taking Care of Yourself When Your Baby Is Fussy
- Your Body After Pregnancy
- After Childbirth: Coping and Adjusting
- After Childbirth: Pelvic Bone Problems
- After Childbirth: Urination and Bowel Problems
- Childbirth Afterpains
- Help with Urination After Giving Birth
- Managing Bowel Movements After Pregnancy
- Mom and Baby Staying Together
- New Moms and Abuse
- Postpartum Depression
- Problems After Delivery of Your Baby
- Vaginal Care After Giving Birth
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Planning Your Delivery
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Parenting Babies (0-12 months)
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Baby Care
- Pregnancy: Should I Bank My Baby's Umbilical Cord Blood?
- Umbilical Cord Blood Donation and Private Banking
- Preparing Siblings for Meeting your New Baby
- Can Cloth Diapers Work for Your Familiy
- Bonding With Your Baby
- Infant Crying
- Crying: Tired or Overstimulated
- Baby's Daily Needs: What to Expect
- Ways to Comfort a Crying Baby
- Coping Strategies to Avoid Harming a Baby
- Coping When Your Baby Cries A Lot
- Tips for Soothing Babies
- Immunizations for Premature Infants
- Important Paperwork for Newborns
- NICU: Communicating With the Staff
- Premature Infant: Safe Travel With Your Baby
- Tips for Diapering a Newborn Baby
- Ways to Comfort a Baby in the Hospital
- Premature (Preterm) Infant
- Bonding With Your Newborn
- Bathing and Skin Care For Newborn Babies
- What to Expect When You Have an Extremely Premature Infant
- Birthmarks
- Biting
- Caring for More Than One Baby
- Caring for a Baby's Nails
- Circumcision
- Circumcision: Should I Keep My Son's Penis Natural?
- Cleaning Your Young Child's Natural (Uncircumcised) Penis
- Cleft Lip
- Cleft Palate
- Club Foot
- Common Types of Birthmarks
- Diaper Rash
- Infant Massage
- Oral Care For Your Baby
- Positional Plagiocephaly
- Quick Tips: Getting Baby to Sleep
- Screening for Hearing Problems
- Separation Protests: Helping Your Child
- Thumb-Sucking Versus Pacifier Use
- Using Soothers and Stopping When it is Time
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Breastfeeding
- A Video on Breastfeeding Positions
- A Video on Breastfeeding and Skin-to-Skin Contact
- A Video on Hand Expressing Breastmilk
- Breast Engorgement
- Breast Surgery and Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding After Breast Surgery
- Breastfeeding After a C-Section
- Breastfeeding During Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding Multiple Infants
- Breastfeeding Positions
- Breastfeeding With Inverted Nipples
- Breastfeeding Your Newborn and an Older Child
- Breastfeeding a Sick Baby
- Breastfeeding and Your Milk Supply
- Breastfeeding at Work
- Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding: Baby's Poor Weight Gain
- Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead
- Breastfeeding: Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs
- Breastfeeding: Waking Your Baby
- Breastfeeding: When Baby Doesn't Want to Stop
- Common Breastfeeding Concerns
- Common Breastfeeding Positions
- Coping With Thrush When You’re Breastfeeding
- Experiencing Let-Down Reflex
- FAQs About Breastfeeding
- Get Started on Expressing Breastmilk
- Getting Comfortable Breastfeeding in Public
- Hospital Policies and Breastfeeding
- Latching Your Baby - Video
- Learning Basics of Breastfeeding
- Learning to Latch
- Mastitis While Breastfeeding
- Medications and Herbal Products for Breastfeeding Moms
- Medicine Use While Breastfeeding
- Milk Oversupply
- Nipple Shields for Breastfeeding Problems
- Oxytocin
- Plugged Milk Ducts When You're Breastfeeding
- Poor Let-Down While Breastfeeding
- Preventing Mastitis
- Pumping Breast Milk
- Quick Tips: Successful Breastfeeding
- Signs That Your Baby Is Getting Enough Breast Milk
- Sleep, Rest, and Breastfeeding
- Storing Breast Milk
- Storing and Using Breastmilk
- Under or Over Production of Milk During Breastfeeding
- Vitamin D Supplements for Breastfeeding Babies
- What you need to Know About Supplementing Baby Formula
- Your Milk Supply
- Breastfeeding: Weaning a Baby
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Feeding Your Baby
- Alternative Feeding Methods for Newborns
- Baby Feeding Cues - Video
- Bottle-Feeding: When Baby Doesn't Want to Stop
- Burping a Baby
- Choosing Baby Bottles and Nipples
- Cleft Palate: Feeding Your Baby
- Combining Breastfeeding and Formula-Feeding
- Cup-Feeding Baby With Breast Milk or Formula
- Feeding Schedule for Babies
- Feeding Your Child Using Division of Responsibility
- Feeding Your Infant
- Feeding Your Premature Infant
- Getting Started and Feeding Cues
- How Often and How Long to Feed
- Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby
- Learn More Before You Supplement Formula
- Safe Drinking Water - Your Baby's First Year
- Safe Water for Mixing Infant Formula
- Signs of a Good Feed
- Spitting Up
- Weaning
- Bottle-Feeding: Weaning a Baby
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Baby Health
- Newborn Rashes and Skin Conditions
- Early Disease Screening of Newborns
- Group B Streptococcal Infections in Newborns
- Drug Withdrawal in Newborns
- Umbilical Cord Care
- Jaundice in Newborns (Hyperbilirubinemia)
- Abdominal Gas and Colic
- Basic Dental Care From Birth to 16 Years
- Bowel Movements in Babies
- Cataracts in Children
- Chronic Lung Disease in Infants
- Colic Diary
- Colic
- Colic: Harmful Treatments
- Comforting a Child Who Has a Respiratory Illness
- Common Health Concerns for Babies First Year
- Cough Symptoms in Children
- Cradle Cap
- Croup
- Croup: Managing a Croup Attack
- Crying Child That Is Not Acting Normally
- Dehydration: Drinking Enough Fluids
- Dental Care From Birth to 6 Months
- Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip
- Developmental Problems: Testing
- Failure to Thrive
- Gastroesophageal Reflux in Babies and Children
- Health and Safety, Birth to 2 Years
- Healthy Hearing and Vision For Babies
- Immunization, Your Baby's First Year
- Orchiopexy for Undescended Testicle
- Reducing Biting in Children Ages 8 to 14 Months
- Reducing Biting in Teething Babies
- Teething Products
- Teething: Common Concerns
- Treating Asthma in Babies and Younger Children
- Tongue-tie and tethered oral tissues
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Baby Growth and Development
- Helping Your Newborn Learn
- Physical Growth in Newborns
- Cognitive Growth in Newborns
- Language Development in Newborns
- Sensory and Motor Growth in Newborns
- Babies' social and emotional development
- Children's Growth Chart
- Cognitive Development 9-12 mos
- Cognitive Development First 6-9 Mos
- Emotional and Social Growth in Newborns
- Growth and Development Milestones
- Growth and Development, Newborn
- Importance of Tummy Time for Babies' Development
- Speech and Language Milestones, Birth to 1 Year
- Stimulate Your Baby's Learning
- Tooth Development in Children
-
Baby Safety
- Child Car Seats
- Quick Tips: Babyproofing Your Home
- Baby's Sleep Position and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- Baby Proofing Your Home First Year
- Choking Rescue for Babies
- Safer Sleep for My Baby
- Crib Safety
- Safe Chairs for Baby's First Year
- Safety at Home for Baby's First Year
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Sun Safety Babies for their First Year
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Baby Care
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Parenting Toddlers (12-36 months)
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Caring for Your Toddler
- Acetaminophen Use in Young Children
- Breath-Holding Spells
- Breath-Holding Spells: Keeping a Record
- Brushing and Flossing a Child's Teeth
- Care for Toddlers' Colds and Coughs
- Crying, Age 3 and Younger
- Dental Care and Teething in Toddlers
- Egocentric and Magical Thinking
- Hearing Health for Toddlers
- Ibuprofen Use in Young Children
- Managing Your Toddler's Frustrating Behaviours
- Positive Parenting
- Preparing Your Toddler for Health Care Visits
- Preventing Breath-Holding Spells in Children
- Promoting Positive Behaviour in Your Toddler
- Breastfeeding Your Toddler
- Childproofing your Home
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Toddler Growth and Development
- Cognitive Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Language Development 12-18 Months
- Language Development 18-24 Months
- Language Development 24-30 Months
- Milestones for 2-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 3-Year-Olds
- Physical Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Physical Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Sensory and Motor Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Sensory and Motor Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Speech and Language Development: Helping Your 1- to 2-Year-Old
- Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 1 to 3 Years
- Toddler Play Activities
- Toddlers Language Development 30-36 Months
- Toddlers Physical Development 18-24 Months
- Toddlers Physical Development 24-30 Months
- Toddlers Physical Development 30-36 Months
- Toddlers Social and Emotional Development 12-18 Months
- Toddlers Social and Emotional Development 18-24 months
- Toddlers Social and Emotional Development 30-36 Months
- Toddlers social and Emotional Development 24-30 months
- Toilet Training
- Toilet Training: Knowing When Your Child Is Ready
- Understanding your Toddlers Development
- Toddler Sleep
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Caring for Your Toddler
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Parenting Preschoolers (3-5 years)
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Caring for Your Preschooler
- Motivational Therapy for Bedwetting
- Daytime Accidental Wetting
- Dental Care: 3 Years to 6 Years
- Health and Safety, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Preschoolers: Building Self-Control
- Preschoolers: Building Social Skills
- Preschoolers: Building a Sense of Security
- Preschoolers: Encouraging Independence
- Preschoolers: Helping Your Child Explore
- Preventing Tooth Decay in Young Children
- Temper Tantrums
- Temper Tantrums: Keeping a Record
- Thumb-Sucking: Helping Your Child Stop
- Your Child and the Dentist
- Moisture Alarms for Bedwetting
- Nightmares and Other Sleep Problems in Children
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Preschooler Growth and Development
- Emotional Development, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Encouraging Language Development in Your Preschooler
- How Reading Helps Language Development
- How to Teach Your Child by Example
- Milestones for 4-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 5-Year-Olds
- Speech Problems: Normal Disfluency
- Speech and Language Delays: Common Misconceptions 49
- Speech and Language Development
- Speech and Language Development: Red Flags
- Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 3 to 5 Years
- Stuttering
- Thumb-Sucking
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Caring for Your Preschooler
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Parenting School-Age Children (6-11 years)
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Caring for Your School-Age Child
- Bedwetting
- Building Kids Resilience
- Childhood Fears and Exposure to Violence
- Conversations that Teach Children Resilience
- Establishing Limits With Your School-Age Child
- Help Your School-Age Child Develop Social Skills
- Helping Your School-Age Child Learn About the Body
- Quick Tips: Using Backpacks Safely
- Sample School Plan
- Self-Esteem, Ages 6 to 10
- Back to School
- School-Age Children Growth and Development 6-11
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Caring for Your School-Age Child
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Parenting Teens (12-18 years)
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Teen Growth and Development
- Adolescent Sensory and Motor Development
- Cognitive Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Menarche
- Menstruation: Not Having a Period by Age 15
- Milestones for Ages 11 to 14
- Milestones for Ages 15 to 18
- Physical Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years /
- Physical Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Puberty Issues
- Teenage Sleep Patterns
-
Caring for Your Teen
- Conversations that Teach Resilience
- Help Your Working Teen Balance Responsibilities and Set Priorities
- Helping Adolescents Develop More Mature Ways of Thinking
- Helping Your Child Transition Into Middle School or Junior High
- Helping Your Teen Become a Safe Driver
- How to Get Back on Track After Conflict with Teenagers
- How to Start a Conversation with Teens About Alcohol
- Medical Checkups for Adolescents
- Talking to Your Adolescent or Teen About Problems
- Teen Relationship Abuse
- Teen Substance Use: Making a Contract With Your Teen
- Teenage Substance Use: Choosing a Treatment Program
- Teenage Tobacco Use
- Teens With Diabetes: Issues for Parents
- Tips for Parents of Teens
- Your Teen's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
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Teen Growth and Development
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Keeping Your Child Safe
- Quick Tips: Helping Your Child Stay Safe and Healthy
- Poison Prevention for Toddlers
- Playground Safety for Toddlers
- Safety Outdoors in the Cold for Toddlers
- Bathroom Safety For Toddlers
- Your Toddler: Safe Ways to Explore
- Child Safety: Preventing Burns
- Child Safety: Preventing Drowning
- Water Safety for Toddlers
- Child Safety: Preventing Child Abduction
- Child Safety: Fires
- Protecting Your Child From Infections
- Child Safety: Pets
- Child Safety: Preventing Falls
- Child Safety: Streets and Motor Vehicles
- Child Safety: Washing Toys to Prevent Germs
- Preventing Choking in Small Children
- Preventing Children's Injuries From Sports and Other Activities
- Child Safety: Air Pollution
- Child Safety: Bathing
- Child Safety: Bicycles and Tricycles
- Child Safety: Drowning Prevention in Pools and Hot Tubs
- Child Safety: Guns and Firearms
- Child Safety: Strollers and Shopping Carts
- Head Injuries in Children: Problems to Watch For
- Head Injury, Age 3 and Younger
- Object Stuck in a Child's Airway
- Preventing Choking
- Playground Safety
- Bullying
- Quick Tips: Safely Giving Over-the-Counter Medicines to Children
- Preventing Poisoning in Young Children
- Bullying: How to Help Your Child Who Bullies
- Staying Healthy Around Animals
- Bullying: Building a Child's Self-Esteem
- Thinking About Child Safety
- Bullying: Signs a Child Is Bullied
- Rule of Nines for Babies and Young Children
- Abuse: Signs of Abuse-Related Injuries
- Media and Your Child: Making Choices
- Child Abuse: Emotional Abuse by Parents
- Protecting Your Toddler From Potential Abuse
- Sexual Abuse: Signs and Symptoms
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Relationships and Emotional Health
- Helping Your Child Build Inner Strength
- Helping Your Child Build a Healthy Body Image
- Symptoms of Depression in Children
- Active Listening
- Aggression in Youth
- Appreciating Your Child's Personality
- Family Life Cycle
- Family Meetings
- Recognizing and Developing Your Children's Special Talents
- Sibling Rivalry: Reducing Conflict and Jealousy
- Violent Behaviour in Children and Teens
- Growth and Development: Helping Your Child Build Self-Esteem
- Effective Parenting: Discipline
- Corporal Punishment
- Talking With Your Child About Sex
- Helping Kids Handle Peer Pressure
- Substance Use Problems: How to Help Your Teen
- Helping Your Child Avoid Tobacco, Drugs, and Alcohol
- Stress in Children and Teenagers
- Stress Management: Helping Your Child With Stress
- Family Therapy for Depression in Children
- Comparing Symptoms of Normal Moodiness With Depression in Children
- Conditions With Symptoms Similar to Depression in Children and Teens
- Warning Signs of Suicide in Children and Teens
- Taking Care of Yourself When You Have a Child With Physical, Emotional, or Behavioural Problems
- Taking Care of Yourself When Your Child Is Sick
- Grief: Helping Children With Grief
- Grief: Helping Children Understand
- Grief: Helping Teens With Grief
- ADHD: Taking Care of Yourself When Your Child Has ADHD
- Baby's Best Chance
- Toddler's First Steps
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Birth Control
- Birth Control Hormones: The Pill
- Birth Control Hormones: The Shot
- Birth Control Hormones: The Mini-Pill
- Birth Control Hormones: The Patch
- Birth Control Hormones: The Ring
- Breastfeeding as Birth Control
- Birth Control: How to Use a Diaphragm
- Birth Control
- Birth Control: Myths About Sex and Pregnancy
- What to Do About Missed or Skipped Birth Control Pills
- Birth Control Pills: Missed or Skipped Periods
- How Birth Control Methods Prevent Pregnancy
- How to Take Birth Control Pills
- Birth Control: How to Use the Patch
- Birth Control: How to Use the Ring
- Hormonal Birth Control: Risk of Blood Clots
- Effectiveness Rate of Birth Control Methods
- Birth Control
- Diaphragm for Birth Control
- Spermicide for Birth Control
- Contraceptive Sponge for Birth Control
- Cervical Cap for Birth Control
- Birth Control: Pros and Cons of Hormonal Methods
- Intrauterine Device (IUD) for Birth Control
- Hormonal Methods of Birth Control
- Barrier Methods of Birth Control
- Tubal Implants for Permanent Birth Control
- Birth Control Patch
- How Pregnancy (Conception) Occurs
- Getting Pregnant After Stopping Birth Control
- Male Condoms
- Emergency Contraception
Overview
Children usually move in natural, predictable steps as they grow and develop language, cognitive, social, and sensory and motor skills. But each child gains skills at their own pace. It's common for a child to be ahead in one area, such as language, but a little behind in another.
At routine checkups, your child's doctor will check for milestones. This is to make sure that your child is growing and developing as they should. Your doctor can help you know what milestones to watch for as your child gets older. Or you can look for sources of information and support nearby. Public health clinics, parent groups, and child development programs may help. Knowing what to expect can help you spot problems early. And it can help you feel better about how your child is doing.
Talk with your doctor about any concerns you have about your child's health, growth, or behaviour. Do this even if you aren't sure what worries you.
Your relationship with your child will change as your child gains new skills and develops independence. As your child's world gets bigger, you can help your child grow in healthy ways. Here are a few things you can do. Spend time together. Be a good role model. Show your child love and affection.
Health Tools
Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
What to Expect
The ages from 15 to 18 are an exciting time of life. But these years can be challenging for teens and their parents. Emotions can change quickly as teens learn to deal with school, their friends, and adult expectations. Teen self-esteem is affected by success in school, activities, and friendships. Teens tend to compare themselves with others, and they might form false ideas about their body image. The influence of media can add to a teen's poor body image.
For parents, the teen years are a time to get to know their teenager. While teens are maturing, they still need a parent's love and guidance. Most do just fine as they face the challenges of being a teen. But it is still important for teens to have good support from their parents so that they can get through these years with as few problems as possible.
Teens grow and develop at different rates. But general teen growth and development patterns can be grouped into four main categories.
- Physical development.
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By age 15, most teens have started puberty. Most girls are close to their adult height. They have completed the phase of rapid growth that precedes the first menstrual period. Boys often continue to grow taller and gain weight. The growth spurt in boys tends to start about 2 years after puberty begins and reaches its peak about 1½ years later. Also, gender characteristics continue to develop in both girls and boys.
- Cognitive development.
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Teens gradually learn to think in more sophisticated, abstract ways. They start to see issues differently, as they gain a better understanding of concepts like morality, consequence, objectivity, and empathy. They may understand that people can see the same issue in different ways. But they often are convinced that their own view is the one that's most correct.
- Emotional and social development.
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Attempts to answer the questions "Who am I?" and "How do I fit in?" guide much of teens' emotional and social development. This process can include some anxiety. In response, teens may behave unpredictably as emotions change, seemingly at random. Socially, teens form new friendships. Also, teens may form intimate relationships.
- Sensory and motor development.
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Teens can increase strength and coordination through regular physical activity.
Growth and development doesn't always occur evenly. Teens will develop at their own pace.
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Common Concerns
Parents of teenagers ages 15 to 18 are often most concerned about whether their teens will be able to make good decisions. Parents know that the choices children make during the teen years can have an impact on much of their adult lives. It's normal to worry. Your child may sometimes have lapses in judgment. But know that you do have an effect on what your child decides, even if it doesn't always seem that way.
Know that you are not alone in these types of concerns. For example, many parents worry about whether their teenager will:
- Resist using alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and drugs.
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Many teens are exposed to these and other substances (including prescription drugs and supplements such as anabolic steroids) throughout their teen years. Offer strategies to avoid tobacco, cannabis, drugs, and alcohol. Set firm, fair, and consistent limits for your teen. Talk about the immediate and long-lasting results of substance use, such as falling grades and poor health. Look for community programs led by teens (peer education). And talk to your teen right away if you see signs of substance use.
- Focus enough on doing well in school.
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Friends, clubs, sports, and jobs can all compete for time that could be spent doing homework. Show your teen how to set goals. For example, talk about and write down a goal for the week, month, and year. Help your teen think about the steps that need to be taken to reach the goal. Work with your teen to make a schedule for when to do each step. Then set rewards for when the goal is achieved.
- Drive safely.
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You can help teach your teen about safe driving. But what a teen does when parents aren't around is the unknown. Even though your teen knows not to text and drive, it is important to remind them. Remind your child often that driving is a huge responsibility that should not be taken lightly.
- Feel pressured to have sex.
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Talk about dating and sex early, before the information is needed. Focus on what makes a relationship healthy, such as trust and respect for each other.
- Find a career.
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Before high school ends, some teens will have a good start on career plans. Most teens start focusing on career plans around age 17 and older. Help your teen find out what interests them. Find ways to help your teen talk to people in certain jobs or get experience by working or volunteering.
Try to understand the issues your teen faces. You may remember some struggles from your own teen years. But the issues your teen faces are likely quite different. Stay involved in your teen's life. For example, go to school events and urge your teen to bring friends to your house while you are home. You can better see the world from your teen's perspective when you are familiar with it. And learn to recognize your teen's stress triggers. Offer guidance on how to manage the anxiety they may cause. But be careful not to get too caught up in your teen's world. If you try to take too much control, it will likely only make things harder for your teen.
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Promoting Healthy Growth and Development
Physical growth and development
You can help your teen during the ages of 15 to 18 years by using parenting strategies. Use these ideas as a starting point for your teen's physical development to help your teen grow.
- Be aware of changing sleep patterns.
Fast-growing and busy teens need a lot of sleep. The natural sleeping pattern for many teens is to go to bed later at night and sleep in. This can make it hard to get up for school. To help your teen get enough rest, discourage electronic use after a certain evening hour.
- Teach your teen how to take care of their skin.
Some young people get at least mild acne. Help your teen manage acne with daily facial care and, if needed, medicines. Also have your teen avoid sunbathing and tanning salons. Sunburn can damage a child's skin for a lifetime. It also puts your teen at risk for skin cancer. Studies suggest that UV rays from artificial sources such as tanning beds and sunlamps are just as dangerous as UV rays from the sun.
- Talk about body image.
What teens think about their bodies greatly affects their feelings of self-worth. Stress that healthy eating and exercise habits are most important for the short and long term. Help your teen recognize that media often show unrealistic images of the ideal body that aren't healthy.
- Offer strategies to avoid tobacco, drugs, and alcohol.
Set firm, fair, and consistent limits for your child. Help your teen understand the immediate and long-lasting results of substance use, such as failing grades and poor health. Practice how your teen can respond when a harmful substance is offered. If you think that your teen is using drugs, tobacco, or alcohol, it's important to talk about it. Ask for help from a counsellor or parent hotline if you don't know what to do.
Emotional and social development
You can help your teen during the ages of 15 to 18 years by using parenting strategies. Use these ideas as a starting point for your teen's emotional and social development to help your teen grow.
- Address problems and concerns.
Build trust so your teen will feel safe talking with you about sensitive subjects. When you want to talk with your teen about problems or concerns, schedule a time in a private and quiet place. Respect your teen's need for independence, but also help your teen avoid making mistakes that have lifelong consequences.
- Encourage community service.
Both your teen and the members of your community are helped when your teen volunteers. Your teen gets the chance to explore new skills and learn how to connect with others.
- Help your child build a strong sense of self-worth.
This will help your teen to act responsibly, cooperate well with others, and have the confidence to try new things.
Cognitive growth and development
You can help your teen during the ages of 15 to 18 years by using parenting strategies. Use these ideas as a starting point for your teen's mental (cognitive) development to help your teen grow into a healthy and happy adult.
- Encourage mature ways of thinking.
Involve your teen in setting household rules and schedules. Talk about current issues together, whether it be school projects or the news. Listen to your teen's opinions and thoughts. Brainstorm different ways to solve problems, and discuss their possible outcomes. Stress that these years provide many chances for teens to learn and improve themselves.
- Offer to help your teen to set work and school priorities.
Make sure your teen understands the need to schedule enough rest, carve out study time, eat nourishing foods, and get regular physical activity.
- Be goal-oriented instead of style-oriented.
Your teen may not complete a task the way you would. That's okay. What is important is that the task gets done. Let your teen decide how to complete work. And always assume that your teen wants to do a good job.
- Ask your teen what they are interested in and find ways to help them find those activities. Encourage them to explore new things.
For example, if your teen likes art, encourage them to take a class at school. These types of activities can help teens learn to think and express themselves in new ways. Teens may find a new or stronger interest, which may help their self-esteem. Remind your teen that they don't need to be an expert. Simply learning about and experimenting with art can help your teen think in more abstract ways and pull different concepts together.
Sensory and motor growth and development
You can help your teen during the ages of 15 to 18 years by using parenting strategies. Use these ideas as a starting point for your teen's sensory and motor development to help your teen stay healthy.
- Encourage daily exercise.
Exercise can help your teen feel good, have a healthy heart, and stay at a healthy weight. Help your teen to build up an exercise routine slowly. For example, plan a short daily walk to start. Have your teen take breaks from media and be active instead.
- Prevent teen violence by being a good role model.
It's important to model and talk to your child about healthy relationships. That's because dating abuse is common among teens. For example, talk calmly during a disagreement with someone else. Help your teen come up with ways to defuse potentially violent situations. For example, use humour, or acknowledge the other person's point of view. Praise your teen for avoiding a confrontation. You might say, "I'm proud of you for staying calm." Also, talk to your teen about violence in media.
- Be aware of the warning signs of teen suicide.
If your teen shows signs of depression, such as withdrawing from others and being sad much of the time, try to get your teen to talk about it. Call your doctor if your teen ever mentions suicide or if you are concerned for your teen's safety.
Learn more
- Acne
- Bullying
- Depression in Children and Teens
- Growth and Development: Helping Your Child Build Self-Esteem
- Healthy Eating for Children
- Helping Adolescents Develop More Mature Ways of Thinking
- Helping Your Child Avoid Tobacco, Drugs, and Alcohol
- Helping Your Child Build a Healthy Body Image
- Helping Your Child Build Inner Strength
- Help Your Working Teen Balance Responsibilities and Set Priorities
- Physical Activity for Children and Teens
- Quick Tips: Keeping Acne Under Control
- Sleep: Helping Your Children—and Yourself—Sleep Well
- Stress Management: Helping Your Child With Stress
- Substance Use Disorder: Dealing With Teen Substance Use
- Talking to Your Adolescent or Teen About Problems
- Teenage Sleep Patterns
- Teen Relationship Abuse
- Tips for Parents of Teens
- Violent Behaviour in Children and Teens
- Warning Signs of Suicide in Children and Teens
- Your Teen's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
When to Call a Doctor
Talk to your teen's doctor if you are concerned about your teen's health or other issues. For example, you may have concerns about your teen:
- Having a significant delay in physical or sexual development, such as if sexual development has not begun by age 15.
- Becoming sexually active. Teens who are sexually active need to be educated about birth control and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and may need to be screened for STIs.
- Being overweight or underweight.
- Having severe acne.
- Having problems with attention or learning.
Call the doctor or a mental health professional if your teen develops behavioural problems or signs of mental health problems. These may include:
- Expressing a lack of self-worth or talking about suicide.
- Acting physically aggressive.
- Regularly experiencing severe mood swings, such as being happy and excited one minute and sad and depressed the next.
- A significant change in appetite, weight, or eating behaviours. These may signal an eating disorder.
- Dropping out of school or failing classes.
- Having serious relationship problems with friends and family that affect home or school life.
- Showing a lack of interest in normal activities and withdrawing from other people.
- Seeking or having sex with multiple partners.
Routine Checkups
Teenagers should see their doctors for routine checkups each year. The doctor will ask your teen questions about your teen's life and activities. This helps the doctor check on your teen's mental and physical health. It's a good idea to give your teen some time alone with the doctor during these visits to talk in private. Your teen will also get the shots (immunizations) that are needed at each checkup.
Teens also need to have regular dental checkups. And they need to be encouraged to brush and floss regularly.
Teens need an eye exam every 1 to 2 years.
It's important for your teen to keep having routine checkups. These checkups allow the doctor to find problems and to make sure that your teen is growing and developing as expected. The doctor will do a physical exam. The doctor will ask questions about your teen's social, academic, relationship, and mental health status. Your teen's immunization record will be reviewed, and your teen will get any shots that are needed at this time.
Starting in your child's teen years, most doctors like to spend some time alone with your child during the visit. Often laws vary about teens' rights to medical confidentiality. But most doctors will clarify expectations. Ideally, you will all agree that anything your teen discusses privately with the doctor will be confidential, with few exceptions. This gives your teen a chance to talk to the doctor about any issue that your teen may not feel comfortable sharing with you.
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Related Information
- Acne
- Body Piercing Problems
- Date Rape Drugs
- Energy and Sports Drinks
- Family Life Cycle
- Growth and Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Health Screening: Finding Health Problems Early
- Helping Your Child Avoid Tobacco, Drugs, and Alcohol
- Learning Disabilities
- Normal Menstrual Cycle
- Physical Activity for Children and Teens
- Protecting Your Skin From the Sun
- Stress Management
- Suicidal Thoughts or Threats
Credits
Current as of: March 1, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Susan C. Kim MD - Pediatrics
John Pope MD - Pediatrics
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
Current as of: March 1, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Susan C. Kim MD - Pediatrics & John Pope MD - Pediatrics & Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
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