“We’re all so worried about that first fever. What happens if my child gets sick? But the most important thing in newborns, young children, all ages really, is accident prevention. We’re going to go over that at each pediatric well visit. We’re going to go over their development, their health, all your questions, and we’re going to give you those tools to stay perhaps not just one, but two steps ahead of your young ones. When are they going to roll and when are heights scary? Even at that first visit, I’ll go over that heights scare me. I don’t like changing tables. Let’s change them on the floor. We get those calls at one in the morning of the newborn, the sleep-deprived parent, and the baby simply fell out of our arms onto the floor. We get the call of the child who ingested something or put something in their mouth. The nine-month-old who grabs your hot cup of coffee. It’s so scary. So let’s work together. Each visit we’ll go over accident prevention and anticipatory guidance and make sure that our little ones are safe in our home. We’ll safety proof the whole house to the maximum degree from the very beginning and make sure that we can grow up in a safe environment.”
Hugh Gilgoff, MD is a board-certified pediatrician at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights. He has a particular interest in newborn care, asthma, and development issues, incorporating teachings from both Eastern and Western medicine. He is a contributing author on the parenting blog, A Child Grows in Brooklyn, and is very active in the local community, speaking at PS 29, the Dodge YMCA, and several child-birth classes. Dr. Gilgoff is fluent in Spanish. He offers free prenatal consultations every month. Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights is a two-floor practice with a walk-in urgent care center and more than 35 specialties. Located at 300 Cadman Plaza West, the practice is situated on the 17th and 18th floors.
“The frequency of eye examinations is usually age-dependent. We usually recommend that children get an eye examination before they start school. Most schools do a vision screening towards the start of the year to see if there are any visual problems. Young adults, maybe once a year or every two years. As you get closer to the age of 40, we usually recommend once a year. If there is a family history of any type of vision problems or eye diseases, certainly once a year. But you should not limit yourself to once a year if you have a problem. You can come see an ophthalmologist whenever you have an issue because we might be able to unmask a more significant problem. Please feel free to make an appointment should you require further information.”
Make an appointment with Monica Dweck, MD
Monica Dweck, MD is a board-certified ophthalmologist at Mount Sinai Doctors, seeing patients of all ages Monday – Friday in Brooklyn Heights. Trained in New York City and Cleveland, she is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, a board member of the New York State Board of Medicine, and a professional member of the National Medical Association and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. After majoring in Psychology at Princeton University, she was awarded her medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and completed her residency in Ophthalmology at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and her fellowship in Ocular Plastic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Dweck has been annually recognized in the US News and World Report’s “Top Doctor” list since 2011, Castle Connolly’s “New York Metro Best Doctors” issue since 2000, and the New York Times Magazine “New York Super Doctors” list since 2009. Prior to joining Mount Sinai Doctors, Dr. Dweck served as Director of Oculoplastic Surgery, Vice Chair, and Residency Program Director in the Department of Ophthalmology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. She has a particular interest in eyelid, dry eye, and tearing problems and surgery in both children and adults.
Mount Sinai Doctors, 300 Cadman Plaza West, is a two-floor multispecialty practice with a walk-in urgent care center and more than 35 specialties, including Adolescent Medicine, Allergy, Cardiology, Dermatology, Diabetes Education, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Infectious Disease, Maternal & Fetal Medicine, Nephrology, OBGYN, Ophthalmology, Optometry & Optical Shop, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Pulmonology, Radiology, Rheumatology, Travel Medicine, Urology, and Vascular Surgery. The practice is located at 300 Cadman Plaza West, on the 17th and 18th floors, in Brooklyn Heights. You can make appointments online at http://www.mountsinai.org/bh or via ZocDoc at http://bit.ly/29LNAIG
“In general, the average healthy child does not need routine vitamin supplementation. There are a few exceptions to this: All exclusively breastfed babies need a vitamin D supplement. They’re sold over the counter in the pharmacy – Di-Vi-Sol, Tri-Vi-Sol. They’re all sold as liquid drops. You give one milliliter each day to the baby for the first six months. Another example of requiring vitamin supplementation is if your child has a deficiency. Let’s say they are anemic and they need iron. You can give them an iron supplement that’s over-the-counter or, if they’re deficient in vitamin D, you can give a gummy multivitamin. Those are also sold over-the-counter and often sold at places like Costco or any pharmacy. If you choose to give your child a gummy multivitamin, it’s a good idea to brush their teeth afterwards because the gummy contains sugar and sticks to their teeth and can cause dental cavities.”
Stephen Turner, MD is a board-certified pediatrician and Medical Director at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights. He has a particular interest in child development and is a proponent of childhood vaccinations, making sure that all his patients have the most accurate information regarding medical decisions. He offers free prenatal consultations every month. Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights is a two-floor practice with a walk-in urgent care center and more than 35 specialties. Located at 300 Cadman Plaza West, the practice is situated on the 17th and 18th floors.
“Sexually transmitted infections or STIs are quite common in young people and usually associated with not using condoms when having sex. It’s very important that a young person be aware of this and be checked for sexually transmitted infections, in particular if they’re not using condoms. Sexually transmitted infections sometimes have symptoms such as burning, itching, and discharge but can occur without any symptoms at all. That’s why it’s very important that several times a year a young person who is sexually active gets tested. Testing is through the urine and it is very easy and painless. You should see a specialist in adolescent medicine.”
Paula Elbirt, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician, specializing in Adolescent Medicine, at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights. She has several published writings, including: Dr. Paula’s Good Nutrition Guide for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers; Dr. Paula’s House Calls to Your Newborn; and Seventeen Magazine’s Guide to Sex and Your Body. She has a particular interest in adolescent empowerment and risk reduction. Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights is a two-floor practice with a walk-in urgent care center and more than 35 specialties. Located at 300 Cadman Plaza West, the practice is situated on the 17th and 18th floors.
“I think it’s a good idea to meet your pediatrician even before your newborn comes. Perhaps around month seven or eight of your pregnancy, you should schedule a prenatal consultation with your pediatrician. Here at the Brooklyn Heights office of Mount Sinai Doctors, we have free monthly pediatric prenatal consultations. It’s a chance to get to know your doctor and, perhaps, what to expect those first couple of days in the hospital. We’ll go over growth and development, anticipatory guidance, accident prevention, as well as, supporting you through those first couple of days in the hospital. Avoiding too much weight loss, making sure we don’t get too jaundice, and just setting up a schedule of what to do if your newborn gets sick, how to get in touch with us. We always schedule same day sick visits and have newborn slots specifically for newborns that first visit on day of life three, four, or five.”
Hugh Gilgoff, MD is a board-certified pediatrician at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights. He has a particular interest in newborn care, asthma, and development issues, incorporating teachings from both Eastern and Western medicine. He is a contributing author on the parenting blog, A Child Grows in Brooklyn, and is very active in the local community, speaking at PS 29, the Dodge YMCA, and several child-birth classes. Dr. Gilgoff is fluent in Spanish. He offers free prenatal consultations every month. Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights is a two-floor practice with a walk-in urgent care center and more than 35 specialties. Located at 300 Cadman Plaza West, the practice is situated on the 17th and 18th floors.
“Urgent care centers are walk-in centers that take care of minor injuries and illnesses. If you think you need to see a doctor right away, and you don’t think it’s a real life-threatening emergency, then an urgent care center is probably the most convenient place for you to go. We see patients quickly, without an appointment. We’re equipped to take care of lacerations, fractures, and other minor injuries that otherwise you might have to go to an emergency room for. If you are having chest pain, severe difficulty breathing, weakness, or any other complaint that you think may be serious or life-threatening, it’s always better to go to an emergency room directly because that’s the place where they’ll most likely be equipped to take care of this. Mount Sinai has urgent care centers in Brooklyn and Manhattan. We’re open 365 days a year with extended hours, and you can just walk-in without an appointment – we’ll be happy to see you.”
Make an appointment with Judah Fierstein, MD
Judah Fierstein, MD is a board-certified emergency medicine physician at Mount Sinai Doctors, seeing patients in the Upper West Side, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, and Inwood. Trained in New York City, he is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He was awarded his medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he also completed his residency in Emergency Medicine. He is the Medical Director of Mount Sinai Doctors Urgent Care. Dr. Fierstein is fluent in Spanish.
Mount Sinai Doctors Urgent Care assists patients with illnesses or injuries that do not appear to be life-threatening, but also can’t wait until the next day, or for primary care doctor to see them. Services are offered on a walk-in basis and range from allergies, asthma, back problems, headaches, skin rashes, and stitches to sprains, UTIs, fever, flu, broken toes, and infections. No appointment is needed; you simply walk-in and see a doctor. There are currently five locations – Union Square, Upper West Side, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, and Inwood – open 365 days a year with extended hours.
