Dr. Maureen Catherine Downes MD

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 59 children in the United States has been diagnosed with autism. Being a complex developmental disorder, autism encompasses several impairments including persistent challenges in speech and nonverbal communication, accompanied by...

What is suramin?Suramin is a drug that was developed about 100 years ago to treat parasite-borne illnesses such as African sleeping sickness and river blindness. The drug has been around since then, and is actually relatively cheap to manufacture and distribute. A single one-month dose to treat one...

Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1)HSV-1 or herpes simplex virus type 1 is a type of herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores. It is called "oral herpes" because it often causes sores around the mouth or on the lips. Cold sores are also called as fever blisters. However, the sores can also be found...

Chickenpox is an infectious disease caused by varicella zoster virus. It is very common among children but may affect adults also. Infection by this virus causes red blisters in different parts of the body. This skin condition has become less common with the advent of chickenpox vaccination. The...

Babies who are exclusively breastfed have fewer and less severe infections, when compared to babies who are partially breastfed or not breastfed at all, according to a study published in, Archives of Disease in Childhood. This protection is regardless of the healthcare and vaccinations provided to...

Orchiopexy is a surgical procedure that corrects the position of undescended testicles inside the scrotum. Orchiopexy is performed to male children to correct cryptorchidism, a medical term used for any undescended testicles. Orchiopexy can also be performed to male adults or adolescents, which may...