Category: B

Nickname for various kinds of admission tests. In relation to children they often refer to diagnostic assessment tests (nicknamed baby boards) or the dreaded pre-college tests offered by the College Board. In medical specialties, a certifying body (e.g., the National Board of Medical Examiners, whose examinations must be passed for licensure in many states, or…

Babies born with congenital heart defects, causing characteristic cyanosis (blueness).  

A wide variety of medical tests done on samples of blood taken from a vein (venipuncture), to assess the health of the body and its major systems. Hematological tests look at aspects of the blood itself; among such tests are complete blood count (CBC) and thrombin time, which measures blood-clotting ability. Microbiological tests search for…

Individuals in a community, often identified by a sign in a window or on a house, who are designated as people to whom children (and adults) can go when they need help. When an urban school community is divided into “blocks” for ease of communication, the block parent generally appointed or elected from among parents…

A set of standardized symbols developed for use with young children who are not able to speak clearly enough to express themselves, as when they have orthopedic handicaps that affect their speaking apparatus, and who cannot read and write. The symbols are moved around on conversation boards to “converse” with others.  

Alternative name for hemophilia, a type of blood disorder involving defects in blood clotting. Diseases involving malfunction of the blood’s clotting system or other problems that result in prolonged bleeding. Bleeding may result from problems with clotting, the platelets, or fragile blood vessels. Some bleeding disorders are congenital (present at birth), and others develop during…

A type of projective test for use with children age five and up, attempting to gain information on the child’s personality. The child is given a set of 12 cartoon pictures featuring a dog named Blacky and is asked to make up a story about them, answer questions for each picture, and sort them by…

The person who is designated by a pregnant woman to be her “coach” during childbirth, generally the father, but sometimes a friend or relative; in any case, someone who has attended prepared childbirth classes with the woman.  

The position a child occupies in a family, based on arrival and number of other children, such as only child, first-born, second-born, middle child, youngest, and so on. Traditionally, many people have believed that birth order has a strong influence on a child’s development and personality. Theories abound, such as that first-born or only children…

A formal written statement verifying a person’s name and date of birth, generally based on a report by the doctor attending at the birth and filed in a government office of vital statistics. A child who has been adopted will generally be issued a new birth certificate showing the date of birth, new name, and…