Factsheets Categories
Fact sheets on a range of health and safety topics have been developed in partnership by Sydney Children's Hospital, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Hunter New England Kidshealth Network. They aim to help you learn about your child’s illness and ways you can help improve their overall health and wellbeing, Factsheets are for educational purposes only, please consult with your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.
Did we help?: If you would like to provide feedback on any of the fact sheets listed on our website, please fill out our feedback form.
Factsheet newsletter: To join the mailing list to receive notification of new and updated factsheets, please complete our subscription form.
Healthdirect 24 hour telephone helpline: 1800 022 222. Healthdirect Australia is a 24-hour telephone health helpline staffed by Registered Nurses to provide expert health advice.
For further information on children’s health and safety issues, visit the Kids Health Website. For books recommended by our hospitals' experts, please visit our book shop.
Translations
A range of fact sheets have been translated into a number of languages. Please visit our translations page to view the resources available in each language.
Allergy
- Allergy - Egg Allergy and egg free diet
- Allergy - EpiPen® Use
- Allergy - Food Allergies and Eczema
- Allergy - Fruit and vegetable allergy
- Allergy - Latex allergy
- Allergy - Milk allergy and milk free diet
- Allergy - Peanut allergy and peanut free diet
- Allergy - Seafood Allergy (includes all fish and seafood)
- Allergy - Sesame free diet
- Allergy - Soy Allergy
- Allergy - Tree nut allergy and tree nut free diet
- Allergy and allergy tests
- Hives (Urticaria)
- House dust mite allergy- what should you do?
Anaesthesia
- Anaesthesia and day surgery
- Anaesthesia and risk in infants
- Anaesthesia for cardiac surgery
- Children’s painful procedures and operations
- Pain - the facts
Asthma
- Asthma - Schools and child services action plan for asthma flare up
- Asthma and your child- A resource pack for parents and carers
- Asthma medication inhalation devices
- Asthma medicines
- Asthma Service Newsletter - Spring 2019
- Asthma- Daily asthma symptoms diary
- Asthma- Good asthma control checklist
Basic life support | CPR
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for babies (less than 12 months of age)
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for children (over 12 months of age)
Bones | Muscles
- Achondroplasia - Positioning and handing of babies with Achondroplasia
- Anterior knee pain in children and adolescents
- Bowlegs and knock-knees
- Broomstick plaster
- Congenital Talipes Equinovarus (Clubfoot)
- Connective tissue dysplasia
- Crutches - instructions for safe crutch walking
- Curly Toes
- Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH)
- Fractures - bone healing
- Hip abduction orthosis
- Intoeing in children (pigeon toes)
- Joint hypermobility
- Leech therapy
- Perthes' disease
- Plaster cast or backslab care instructions for patients and their carers
- Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE)
- Thermoplastic splint care
- Trigger thumb
- Wheelchair
- Wrist buckle fracture
Brain | Nervous system
- Arterio-venous malformation (AVM) of the brain
- Cerebral Palsy (CP)
- Concussion and mild head injury
- Developmental delay
- General Movements Assessment - information for parents
- Intellectual disability
Breastfeeding
- Breast care for breastfeeding mothers after the death of a child
- Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding... Is it for me?
Chest | Lungs
- Asthma - Schools and child services action plan for asthma flare up
- Asthma and your child- A resource pack for parents and carers
- Asthma medication inhalation devices
- Asthma medicines
- Asthma Service Newsletter - Spring 2019
- Asthma- Daily asthma symptoms diary
- Asthma- Good asthma control checklist
- Bronchiolitis
- Chronic neonatal lung disease
- Croup
- Fact sheet for parents/carers in Hunter Baillie - Long Term Ventilation Unit
- OA/TOF: Eating and drinking considerations for children born with OA / TOF: 1 year and older
- OA/TOF: Extra nutrition support for children born with OA / TOF: 6 months and older
- OA/TOF: High energy and high protein recipes for children born with OA / TOF: 6 months and older
- OA/TOF: Oesophageal atresia and/or tracheo-oesophageal fistula
- Passive smoking
- Pneumonia
- Wheeze - Viral induced wheeze
Chronic illness
- Chronic illness
- Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida
- OA/TOF: Oesophageal atresia and/or tracheo-oesophageal fistula
- Oncology Long Term Follow Up Clinic - Information for patients and families
Common illness
- Abdominal Pain (Stomach Ache)
- Breath holding spells
- Common newborn concerns
- Constipation
- Eczema
- Eczema: Wet Dressing
- Fever
- Fever - Febrile convulsions
- Gastroenteritis
- Impetigo
- Influenza
- Jaundice in newborn babies
- Meningitis
- Meningococcal infection
- Pneumococcal disease, immunisation and your family
- Recognition of serious illness in children
- Seizures and Epilepsy
- Slapped cheek disease or Fifth disease (Parvovirus)
- Sore throat
- Urinary tract infection in children
- Whooping cough
Common problems
- Anterior knee pain in children and adolescents
- Bedwetting
- Breath holding spells
- Common newborn concerns
- Congenital Talipes Equinovarus (Clubfoot)
- Constipation
- Crying Baby
- Daytime wetting
- Evaluating health information on the Internet
- Intoeing in children (pigeon toes)
- Nappy rash
- Positional plagiocephaly
- Reflux
Disability
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Cerebral Palsy (CP)
- Choosing my team
- Conversations with child care and pre-school: for children with developmental delay or disability
- Developmental delay
- Family support for children with developmental delay or disability
- Intellectual disability
Donation
Ears | Hearing
- Ear problems in children
- Ears - Can your child hear?
- Ears - Glue Ear and Grommets
- Ears - Hearing loss in children with Down syndrome
- Ears - Hearing loss in One Ear: Babies & PreSchool Children
- Ears - The Inheritance of hearing loss and deafness
- Ears - Unilateral (single sided) hearing loss: The school child
- Microtia
- Otitis Media (Middle Ear Infection)
Emotional | Behavioural
Eyes
- Eyes - Congenital cataracts
- Eyes - How to make an eye patch
- Eyes - Your baby’s eyes
- Your child's visual rehabilitation after cataract surgery
Face | Mouth | Speech
- Language development – the early years
- Oral health and medications for children with a heart condition
- Oral health for children with a heart condition
- Stuttering
Food | Nutrition
- Allergy - Fruit and vegetable allergy
- Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding... Is it for me?
- Coeliac disease
- Food - Baby's first foods
- Food - Fussy eating in toddlers
- Food - Healthy eating for toddlers
- Food - Healthy Snack Choices
- Food - High Energy Eating for Children
- Food - High Energy Eating for Infants & Toddlers
- Food - Snack Attack Ideas
- Food - Vegetarian Eating in Children
- Food - Ways to boost iron intake for babies, toddlers and children
- Food intake record
- Food safety
- OA/TOF: Eating and drinking considerations for children born with OA / TOF: 1 year and older
- OA/TOF: Extra nutrition support for children born with OA / TOF: 6 months and older
- OA/TOF: High energy and high protein recipes for children born with OA / TOF: 6 months and older
- Parenteral nutrition
- Reflux
Heart
- CPVT - Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia
- Fontan circulation - Driving with a Fontan circulation
- Fontan circulation - Getting insurance with a Fontan circulation
- Fontan circulation - Taking risks with a Fontan circulation
- Fontan circulation - Transitioning to Adult Health Services with a Fontan circulation - Checklist
- Fontan circulation - Transitioning to the adult health service with a Fontan circulation
- Fontan circulation and arrhythmia
- Fontan circulation and the liver
- Fontan circulation, exercise and living a healthy lifestyle
- Fontan circulation, sexual health and pregnancy
- Getting a job with a Fontan circulation
- Long QT syndrome
- Oral health and medications for children with a heart condition
- Oral health for children with a heart condition
- Patent ductus arteriosus in the premature infant
- Post cardiac surgery discharge information - CHW
- The inherited arrythmia clinic
Home enteral nutrition | Tube feeding
- Tube feeding - Caring for your child’s Nasogastric tube
- Tube feeding - Common problems with your child’s gastrostomy button
- Tube feeding - Common tolerance problems your child may experience while tube feeding
- Tube feeding - Gastrostomy
- Tube feeding - Looking after your child’s feeding equipment
- Tube feeding - The importance of a clean mouth
- Tube feeding - Trans-gastric Jejunal feeding device
- Tube feeding - Transitioning from tube to oral feeding
- Tube feeding - What is tube feeding?
- Tube feeding - Your child's new gastrostomy button
- Tube feeding - Your child’s tube feeding formula
Immune system
Infections
- Chickenpox
- Cutaneous leishmaniasis
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
- Hepatitis B virus infection in infants and children
- Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Children
- Immunisation
- Kawasaki disease
- Multi-resistant organisms (MRO)
- Pneumonia
- Slapped cheek disease or Fifth disease (Parvovirus)
- Tuberculosis (TB)
Liver | Kidney
Mental health
- Anorexia nervosa in children and young people
- Anxiety
- Depression in children: What parents should know
- Disruptive behaviours in children: What parents should know
- NSW Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Neuromuscular | Orthopaedic surgery
- Dega osteotomy
- Femoral derotation osteotomy (FDO)
- Lateral column lengthening of the foot
- Split Tibialis Anterior Tendon Transfer (SPLATT)
- Varising Derotation Osteotomy (VDRO) SCH
- Varus Derotation Osteotomy (VDRO) CHW & HNE
Obesity | Healthy weight
- Obesity - A healthy lifestyle for a healthy weight
- Obesity - For my adolescent with a weight problem: Where to from here?
- Obesity - For my child with a weight problem: Where to from here?
- Obesity - How do I know if my child has a weight problem
- Obesity - How to get kids to be more active
- Obesity - How to talk to your child about their weight: a guide for parents and carers
- Obesity - Losing weight: why the whole family needs to be involved
- Obesity - Preventing Holiday Weight Gain - Managing the School Holiday Period
- Obesity - Weight management tip: Improve your child’s sleep
- Obesity - Weight management tips for parents and carers
- Obesity - Weight management tips for parents and carers: Helping your adolescent to lose weight
- Screen time and children
Pain
- Children’s painful procedures and operations
- Epidurals
- Opioid (pain reliever) infusion
- Pain - the facts
Palliative care
- Breast care for breastfeeding mothers after the death of a child
- Paediatric palliative care: factsheet for families
Physical activity
Poisons
- Bites and stings
- Button batteries
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Lead
- Poisonous or harmful plants
- Poisons
Preparing your child for hospital
Procedures | Tests
- Anaesthesia and day surgery
- Anaesthesia and risk in infants
- Anaesthesia for cardiac surgery
- Analgesia - Patient or nurse controlled
- Blood tests - Venepuncture
- Blood transfusion
- Catheterisation and supra pubic urine aspiration
- Colonoscopy
- Congenital Talipes Equinovarus (Clubfoot)
- Contrast enema
- Contrast swallow, contrast meal and follow through
- CT scan (computerised tomography)
- Epidurals
- General Movements Assessment - information for parents
- Immunisation
- Immunisation - information on the diseases covered
- Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)
- IV - The facts about drips
- Lumbar puncture
- Mantoux skin test
- Micturating Cysto Uretherogram (MCU)
- Micturating Cysto Uretherogram (MCU) - CHW
- MRE Scan for Crohn's Disease
- MRI scan
- Nitrous oxide
- Opioid (pain reliever) infusion
- Patent ductus arteriosus in the premature infant
- Physiotherapy for children after heart surgery
- Radiation... and its uses in Hospitals for Diagnostic Testing
- Sedation - Procedural sedation
- Sweat test
- Upper endoscopy
- Vesicostomy
Safety
- Abusive Head Trauma (AHT)
- Back Care - Looking after your back - for parents and carers
- Button batteries
- Lead
- Poisonous or harmful plants
Skin
- Allergy - Food Allergies and Eczema
- Burns: Care Advice
- Cutaneous leishmaniasis
- Eczema
- Eczema: Wet Dressing
- Haemangiomas
- Henoch-Schoenlein Purpura (HSP)
- Hives (Urticaria)
- Impetigo
- Pressure injuries
- Spina Bifida - Protecting your skin
Sleep
- Nightmares and night terrors
- Sleep - Bi-Level Ventilation
- Sleep - CPAP care and maintenance of equipment
- Sleep - CPAP Ventilation
- Sleep - Humidification for CPAP and Bi-Level Machines
- Sleep - Normal sleep patterns 0 - 16 years
- Sleep - Respiratory Support Service (RSS): Equipment Hire
- Sleep screen (trolley) study
- Sleep study
- Travelling with respiratory support equipment
Spina Bifida
- Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida - Adolescents and adults with Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida - Antenatal Consultation in Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida - Be active adolescents and adults
- Spina Bifida - Be active kids with Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida - Bladder Management and Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida - Care of a newborn baby with Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida - Dealing with Anxiety, Grief and Loss
- Spina Bifida - Equipment needs
- Spina Bifida - Foot care
- Spina Bifida - Healthy Lifestyle for Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida - Hospital admissions
- Spina Bifida - Introduction to bowel management and Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida - Lipomas and Lipomyelomeningoceles
- Spina Bifida - Living well with Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida - Lower Limb Paralysis and Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida - Making decisions about treatments in Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida - Pressure relief technique (weight shifts) and Spina Bifida
- Spina Bifida - Protecting your skin
- Spina Bifida - Relationships and Sexuality
- Spina Bifida - Role of the treating team: Occupational Therapy
- Spina Bifida - Role of the treating team: Physiotherapy
- Spina Bifida - Role of the treating team: Social Work
- Spina Bifida - Tethered Cord and Spina Bifida.
- Spina Bifida - Transition to School
Spinal cord injury
- Spinal Cord Injury - Be active Adolescents with Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Cord Injury - Be active Kids with Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Cord Injury - Bladder Management
- Spinal Cord Injury - Bowel management and Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Cord Injury - Dealing with Anxiety, Grief and Loss
- Spinal Cord Injury - Foot Care and Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Cord Injury - Healthy Lifestyle
- Spinal Cord Injury - Hospital admissions and Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Cord Injury - Making decisions about treatments in Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Cord Injury - Pressure relief technique and Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Cord Injury - Reintegration to school after spinal cord injury
- Spinal Cord Injury - Relationships, Sexuality, Fertility and Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Cord Injury - Starting school and spinal cord injury
Surgery | Hospital
- Adenoidectomy
- Anaesthesia and day surgery
- Appendicitis
- Burns: Care Advice
- Children’s painful procedures and operations
- Fundoplication
- Hernia - Inguinal
- Hernia - Umbilical
- Hydroceles
- Hypospadias
- Pain - the facts
- Surgery - How do I prepare my child for planned surgery
- Tonsillectomy
- Undescended testes
- Vesicostomy
Teeth
- Teeth - Caring for your child's teeth
- Teeth - Tooth development
- Teeth - What to do if a child knocks out their adult front tooth
Vascular access
- Care of an uncuffed tunnelled central venous catheter at home
- Care of the intravenous cannula at home
- Care of the Midline at home
- Care of the PICC at home
- Cuffed Tunnelled Central Venous Catheter
- Midline
- Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs)
- PICC Lines in Neonates
- Port - Implantable Venous Access Device
- Uncuffed tunnelled central venous catheter