100 Words Every Parent Should Know

No.	Term	Definition
1.	AAP	American Academy of Pediatrics guidance source.
2.	ABA therapy	Behavior therapy often used for autism.
3.	ACE score	Measure of adverse childhood experiences.
4.	Acetaminophen	Common pain and fever medicine.
5.	Acute illness	Sudden, short-term sickness.
6.	ADHD	Attention and impulse regulation difficulty.
7.	Allergen	Substance that triggers an allergic reaction.
8.	Allergy	Immune overreaction to a usually harmless substance.
9.	Anaphylaxis	Severe, life-threatening allergic reaction.
10.	Antibiotic	Medicine that treats bacterial infections.
11.	Antihistamine	Medicine that reduces allergy symptoms.
12.	Attachment	Child’s emotional bond with caregiver.
13.	Audiology	Hearing evaluation and related care.
14.	Autism spectrum disorder	Neurodevelopmental differences in communication and behavior.
15.	Baby-led weaning	Introducing solids via self-feeding finger foods.
16.	Baseline behavior	Typical behavior level before changes occur.
17.	Behavior plan	Strategy to teach and reinforce desired behaviors.
18.	Belay device	Climbing safety tool controlling rope.
19.	Benign	Not harmful; not cancerous or dangerous.
20.	BMI percentile	Weight status compared with same-age peers.
21.	Bonding	Building closeness and trust with your baby.
22.	Booster seat	Car seat positioning seatbelt correctly.
23.	Breastmilk	Human milk providing nutrition and immune support.
24.	Breech	Baby positioned feet or bottom first.
25.	Bullying	Repeated aggressive behavior with power imbalance.
26.	Car seat	Child restraint for vehicle travel safety.
27.	Caries	Tooth decay caused by bacteria.
28.	CDC schedule	Recommended vaccine timing guidelines.
29.	Celiac disease	Autoimmune reaction to gluten damaging intestines.
30.	Choking hazard	Object that can block the airway.
31.	Circadian rhythm	Body’s daily sleep-wake timing system.
32.	Co-parenting	Sharing parenting responsibilities between caregivers.
33.	Colic	Frequent crying in an otherwise healthy infant.
34.	Concussion	Brain injury from a hit or jolt.
35.	Consent	Freely given permission for touch or actions.
36.	Constipation	Hard, infrequent, or painful stools.
37.	Croup	Viral illness causing barking cough and stridor.
38.	Cyberbullying	Bullying using digital messages or posts.
39.	Dehydration	Body lacks enough fluids.
40.	Developmental delay	Slower progress in skills than expected.
41.	Diaper rash	Skin irritation in diaper area.
42.	Discipline	Teaching self-control and appropriate behavior.
43.	Dyslexia	Reading difficulty affecting decoding and fluency.
44.	Ear infection	Middle ear inflammation causing pain.
45.	Eczema	Itchy, inflamed skin condition.
46.	Emergency contacts	People to call in urgent situations.
47.	Epinephrine	First-line medicine for anaphylaxis.
48.	Executive function	Skills for planning, focus, and self-control.
49.	Fever	Elevated body temperature indicating illness.
50.	Fine motor skills	Small muscle movements like grasping and writing.
51.	Fluoride	Mineral that strengthens tooth enamel.
52.	Folic acid	Vitamin preventing certain birth defects.
53.	Formula	Infant milk substitute meeting nutrition needs.
54.	Foster care	Temporary care for children outside home.
55.	Fracture	Broken bone requiring evaluation and care.
56.	Gastroenteritis	Stomach and intestinal infection causing vomiting, diarrhea.
57.	Gentle parenting	Firm limits with empathy and respect.
58.	GERD	Frequent reflux causing discomfort or feeding issues.
59.	Gross motor skills	Large movements like crawling, walking, jumping.
60.	Hand-foot-mouth disease	Viral illness with mouth sores and rash.
61.	Helmet safety	Proper helmet fit and consistent use.
62.	Home safety plan	Steps to prevent injuries at home.
63.	Hydration	Keeping the body adequately supplied with fluids.
64.	Immunization	Protection by vaccines against infections.
65.	Inhaler	Device delivering medicine to lungs.
66.	Isolation	Separating to reduce spread of infection.
67.	Jaundice	Yellowing skin from elevated bilirubin.
68.	Kindergarten readiness	Skills needed to start school successfully.
69.	Lactation consultant	Specialist helping with breastfeeding challenges.
70.	Lead exposure	Contact with lead that can harm development.
71.	Learning disability	Persistent difficulty in specific academic skills.
72.	Lice	Scalp parasites causing itching.
73.	Limit setting	Clear rules and consistent boundaries.
74.	Measles	Highly contagious viral rash illness.
75.	Melatonin	Hormone sometimes used for sleep onset.
76.	Mental health	Emotional and psychological well-being.
77.	Milestones	Expected developmental skills by age.
78.	Mindfulness	Paying attention to the present moment.
79.	MRSA	Antibiotic-resistant staph bacterial infection.
80.	Multivitamin	Supplement providing multiple vitamins and minerals.
81.	Neglect	Failure to meet a child’s basic needs.
82.	Newborn screening	Early tests for treatable health conditions.
83.	Night terrors	Sudden sleep episodes with screaming and confusion.
84.	Norovirus	Contagious virus causing vomiting and diarrhea.
85.	Nutrition label	Packaging information about food contents.
86.	Occupational therapy	Therapy supporting daily skills and sensory needs.
87.	Oral rehydration solution	Balanced fluids and salts for dehydration.
88.	Otitis media	Middle ear infection or inflammation.
89.	Overstimulation	Too much input causing distress or dysregulation.
90.	Panic attack	Sudden intense fear with physical symptoms.
91.	Parent-teacher conference	Meeting to discuss student progress and needs.
92.	Pediatrician	Doctor specializing in children’s health.
93.	Peer pressure	Influence from peers to conform.
94.	Positive reinforcement	Rewarding behavior to increase its frequency.
95.	Postpartum depression	Depression after childbirth affecting parent and baby.
96.	Potty training	Teaching toileting skills and routines.
97.	Quarantine	Restricting movement after exposure to illness.
98.	Reactive airway disease	Wheezing tendency; asthma-like symptoms.
99.	Red flag	Warning sign needing prompt professional evaluation.
100.	Resilience	Ability to recover and adapt after stress.