Family health A-Z - U

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A tube which connects the placenta to the fetus, and which contains two arteries and a vein for the exchange of nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood.

Also known as: Inguinal hernia

The most common type of hernia, also known as an umbilical hernia, affecting mostly male babies and adults. (Ninety-eight per cent of inguinal hernias occur in males.) Occurring in the groin, an inguinal hernia is caused by a loop of bowel pushing through a weakness in the inguinal canal - the triangular opening between layers of abdominal muscle near the groin. Can be corrected by a simple surgical procedure

When a boy’s testicles are not in their usual place in the scrotum by his first birthday. Usually affects only one testicle, but in some cases both may be implicated. Undescended testicles should be treated in early childhood to prevent fertility problems later on. Treatment is either by a short course of hormone therapy or by a small operation.

Also known as: Hives

Also known as ‘nettle rash’ or by the medical term ‘urticaria’, hives is a red, lumpy, itchy rash (similar to that caused stinging nettles), and is caused by an allergic reaction to certain foods - or sometimes by a viral infection.