Children's Health | Mount Sinai Today

Is it Time to Take My Child to the Doctor?

Updated on Dec 9, 2025 | Children's Health, Cold and Flu, Your Health

There are times during the cold and flu season when everyone seems to have the sniffles. While you may be tempted to book an appointment with a pediatrician at the sight of a runny nose, several symptoms can be managed with at-home remedies and over-the-counter medications.

Noha Basouny, MD, a pediatrician at Mount Sinai Doctors-Brooklyn Heights, explains what can be done at home, when you need to see the doctor, and how best to protect your child.

Help, my child is sick! What can I do about it?

First off, don’t panic. Many symptoms can be managed or treated at home without taking a trip to the pediatrician.

If your child has nasal congestion with or without cough, try using saline drops or nasal spray along with a humidifier or steam from the shower or bath. The humid and moist air along with the saline help to loosen congestion and allow mucus to drain. For children not old enough to blow their nose, use a nasal aspirator or bulb suction to clear away the mucus.

Should I use over-the-counter medications?

Forgo traditional “cough and cold” medicines as studies show they are neither effective nor safe, especially in children under six years old. Additionally, ingredients in many of these combination medicines overlap, putting children at greater risk for overdosing. If your child has a cough, honey is a helpful soother, although it is not safe in infants under one year.

Fever can be treated with acetaminophen for any child older than two months and ibuprofen for any child older than six months. Be sure to check the medication’s label—or consult a pediatrician—as dosing will depend on your child’s weight.

What is considered a fever? When should I be concerned?

A fever is defined as a temperature of 100.4°F or higher. It is helpful to know your child’s exact temperature as the trend of temperatures can help indicate whether the illness is improving or worsening.

Be sure to accurately check your child’s temperature. Remember, feeling his or her forehead with your hand will not give a sufficient measurement. A rectal temperature should be done for any baby six months of age and under. Rectal thermometers provide the most accurate temperature until age five; however, after six months it is okay to use a forehead (temporal) or ear (tympanic) thermometer. Oral thermometers should only be used after age five.

Seek medical help immediately if your child has a fever above 104°F or one that does not respond to fever-reducing medication.

When does my child need to see the doctor?

If your baby is under two months old and has a fever, they need to be taken to the emergency room. A fever in babies this young is taken very seriously and needs an evaluation that goes past what a doctor can do in the office. Between two and three months old, a baby with a fever should always be seen, but can first be evaluated by a pediatrician rather than going directly to the emergency room. For older babies and children, a fever lasting two days or more should be checked by the doctor.

In addition, although congestion and cough do not always need to be seen in the office, any child with difficulty breathing as well as these symptoms needs to be checked.

When in doubt, it is best to have your child checked by the doctor. Call your pediatrician if there are ever any questions about when to come in.

How can I prevent my child from getting sick?

The best way to protect your child from illness is to keep up to date on immunizations, including the annual influenza vaccine. While immunizations do not prevent all childhood illnesses, they protect against many serious infections as well as the dangerous complications that may arise from some of these infections.

Frequent hand washing, either with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, is also an important way to prevent illness. When washing with soap and water, scrub for at least 20 seconds and rinse soap fully.

Finally, if your child is in school, preschool, or daycare, please keep them home if they are sick. Coughing, sneezing, and runny noses can linger from an illness so it is not imperative that these symptoms be fully resolved before returning to activities. However, children should be fever-free for 24 hours and back to their usual energy and activity level before returning to school. This will prevent further spread of illness in their classroom.

Noha Basouny, MD

Pediatrician, Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights

Make an appointment with Dr. Basouny

Learn more about Children's Health at Mount Sinai

Back to School Tips for Parents and Kids

Updated on Aug 26, 2025 | Children's Health, Your Health

Starting a new school year can be a very exciting time but also a stressful one for parents and students.

For parents with questions or concerns, here are some basic tips to help you and your family prepare, and ensure that everyone has a happy and successful year. These tips come from two experts, Monica Amoo-Achampong, MD, and Erica Brody, MD, both pediatricians at Mount Sinai Health System.

Schedule an annual checkup

It’s one of the best ways to ensure your children’s health and well-being. Making sure your children are up to date on all their vaccines can keep them from getting sick from serious illness. This includes COVID-19 and flu vaccines for children above six months of age. Older children need their meningitis and HPV vaccines in addition to a booster shot for tetanus and whooping cough.

Good hand hygiene

A great way to prevent germs from spreading is to remind your kids about proper handwashing techniques and teach children to avoid touching their face.

Stick to a healthy diet and meal schedule

Most kids could use more vegetables, like spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, squash, or carrots, and less junk foods, such as chips, cookies, and candy bars. Lean proteins are also important, like grilled chicken or fish, shellfish, beans, nonfat Greek yogurt, and eggs. Try to limit junk food and sugary drinks to occasional treats. Breakfast is critical to boost our morning energy levels, and also get us hydrated to start the day. A lunch that includes a vegetable, a protein, and lots of water, while also avoiding junk food and excessive carbs, is ideal. Make dinnertime a family affair and eat together as often as able. A regular meal schedule keeps our energy levels steady, while also helping to maintain healthy portion sizes. Skipping meals can make children irritable and less focused. Eating too late may contribute to obesity and poor sleep schedules.

Develop healthy sleep habits

With a consistent and early bedtime, kids learn faster and feel happier. For younger kids, a regular routine is key, with softer lights and sounds around bedtime. For older kids, daily vigorous exercise earlier in the day will help them fall asleep more easily. For all ages, screen time should end at least an hour before bedtime. In general, the earlier children go to bed, the easier it will be for them to wake up in the morning.

Stay active

Kids need a daily exercise routine. Even when they can’t get outside, an exercise video or family dance session can do the trick.

Manage anxiety and keep calm

Kids may have different worries than adults, but they’re just as real. Find time each day to check in, listen to their feelings, and remind them that they’re supported. If there are lots of negative emotions, consider discussing your concerns with your pediatrician.

Learn more about Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital

Worried About Your Child’s Mental Health? Here’s What You Can Do.

May 21, 2025 | Children's Health, Your Health

Mental health is a very important part of your child’s overall health and wellness throughout their childhood years and beyond into adulthood. It is the foundation to building their future and plays an integral role in the relationship to their physical health and their ability to function and succeed at school, at home, and in the world as a whole. Mental health affects everything—the way your child learns, develops, feels, thinks, and acts.

Do you worry about your child having anxiety, depression, stress, or other related illnesses? Do they display new behaviors, such as having outbursts, crying a lot when they don’t get their way, avoiding activities they once enjoyed, or getting very sad for long periods of time?

Stephen Turner, MD

“It can be hard to identify if their struggles are normal or signs of a mental health concern,” says pediatrician Stephen Turner, MD, from Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights.

He offers some ways to support children and encourage wellness and how to spot signs and symptoms of a mental health problem.

Any type of change can be hard and intimidating for children of all ages. For example, the end of the school year can really weigh on a child. They might be filled with excitement, sadness, or apprehension as they say goodbye to their teachers and friends.

“What’s important to remember is understanding how they are feeling, helping them through it. Make those fun vacation plans, but also focus on their mental health,” Dr. Turner says. “Let’s face it, some kids love school, and they thrive on that structure, while others can’t wait for summer to begin. School is predictable and can be a child’s safe haven even if they say it’s not ‘cool’ or ‘fun.’”

How do we help children stay healthy mentally and move ahead with a transition to summer break and encourage good health and wellness all year long?

Here are some simple things you can do to help your child be more confident and develop resilience:

Offer a nurturing and loving environment: offer constant love and support, tell them that you love them, and hug your child often.
Listen to your child’s concerns.
Communicate clearly, consistently, and positively.
Keep the same structure and routine.
Be in the moment with them: share smiles, stories, and conversation.
Offer positive reinforcement.
Applaud their efforts and successes.
Be a role model and mentor.

Here are some signs and symptoms of a possible mental health concern:

A change in mood or intense behaviors and tantrums that last for long periods of time or several weeks.
- Take note if the behavior happens a few times a week and if it lasts for a few minutes or a few hours.
- Take note if the behaviors are disruptive for example, and are taking away from family time or causing a scene at a special event.
Limited interest in the activities they once enjoyed.
Decline in academics and school performance.
Excessive anxiety and worrying.
Withdrawn and sad.
Rebellious and opposition to parents, caregivers, and authority.
Interrupted sleep at night with bad dreams and night terrors.
A change in the way they talk or express themselves, such as using inappropriate or negative language, or having thoughts or talk of hurting themselves. In that case, get help right away and call your doctor or the National Helpline of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)—1-800-662-HELP (4357).

If you’re worried that your child may have a mental health concern, contact your child’s teachers and other adults who see them on a daily basis and take note if they are seeing similar changes in their behavior.

“Most importantly, trust yourself and the gut feeling that you have and contact your child’s pediatrician or a mental health and behavioral specialist to help you,” says Dr. Turner.

To make an appointment with a pediatrician at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights call 929-210-6000.

Learn more about Pediatrics at Mount Sinai

Heart Healthy Exercise Tips for Babies and Young Children

Mar 25, 2025 | Children's Health, Heart Health, Your Health

Children who learn healthy habits early in life are likely to continue these practices as they grow older. There are some simple and fun heart-healthy activities that parents can promote on a regular basis to keep good cardiovascular health and set a course of healthy habits for life.

Samara Per, PT, DPT, CBIS

Samara Per, PT, DPT, CBIS, Senior Pediatric Physical Therapist in the Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at Mount Sinai, shares her exercise recommendations that kids of all ages can use to start practicing heart health.

“When thinking about how to best promote exercise in children, we can use play as an easy way to introduce and encourage movement,” she says. “Children are innately curious about their surroundings and how they can interact with their world. One of the best ways to support this is through purposeful play.”

Exercises for Newborns

Help newborns find their hands, encouraging them to bring their hands together and to their mouth so that they can learn about how their hands can be used to interact with their body.
Make sure that newborns spend time in various positions throughout the day when they are awake—including their sides and tummy to encourage strong postural muscles and allow them to learn about how their body can move on different surfaces.
Aim for 20 minutes of purposeful play a day to help a newborn’s development.
Encourage newborns to visually track high contrast baby cards to start to use their eye muscles so that they are better able to see and visually interact with their environment as they age.

Exercises for Babies

Place toys around your baby on the floor, just out of reach, to encourage movement around the environment. This allows babies to explore and learn new skills, such as rolling and crawling.
Once babies start to be on the move, further encourage skill development by moving toys to various surface heights. This can help to develop their muscles so they can sit, kneel, and stand all while focusing on play.
As babies age, increase their play time as their wake windows increase—aiming for 45 minutes of purposeful play a day.

Exercises for Toddlers and Young Children

Encourage everyday mobility by turning walking into adventures—make it fun by hiding toys around the house and yard, or perhaps go for a walk to collect leaves and sticks for an art project.
Encourage dancing or walking like your child’s favorite animal for increased endurance, such as crab walking and bear walking.
Kicking a ball back and forth, playing hopscotch or “Simon Says” are great for balance, and can help children to build a strong foundation for movement.
Once children have grown into toddlers and young children it is recommended to increase purposeful play to 60 minutes a day.

By incorporating simple exercises and body challenges into play, you can help contribute to heart health and encourage children to grow up with strong bodies.

Why Does My Baby Cry So Much?

Updated on Oct 5, 2023 | Children's Health, Your Health

A fussy and crying infant can be a tremendous challenge for parents. Just when you get past the stress of childbirth, learn how to feed your baby, your newborn’s weight gain, and possibly deal with a jaundiced baby, your infant begins to spend more time awake, often fussing and crying frequently. Is your baby experiencing the dreaded colic or is something else wrong?

Jennifer Bragg, MD

In this Q&A, Jennifer Bragg, MD, Director, Mount Sinai Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Follow-Up Program, and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, explains colic, how parents can tell if their baby may have it, and what to do to soothe a fussy baby.

What is colic?

“True colic” is defined as at least three hours of unexplained crying or fussing, at least three days per week, for at least three weeks in a row. It often starts around two weeks of age, peaks at four to six weeks, and goes away by three to four months. These hours of crying usually occur at a certain time of day, often in the evening hours. When not crying, the baby is usually happy. The crying is often high-pitched and many babies will pull up their legs, almost as if in pain, or turn red in the face. It is equally common in boys and girls, and slightly more common in first-born children.

What causes colic?

It is not entirely known what causes colic. Some believe it is caused by immaturity of the nervous system, while others believe it is caused by something upsetting the baby’s stomach. The most conventional wisdom is that colic is caused by a combination of the two. What we do know is that colic has no ultimate impact on a child’s temperament and personality later in life. Studies have shown that a colicky baby is no less likely to be a pleasant, happy, and well-adjusted child, teenager, and adult.

My fussy baby does not have “true colic.” What else could cause their constant crying? Should I see my pediatrician?

There are many explainable reasons for crying in a baby. Hunger, fatigue, and a dirty or wet diaper are simple, easily fixed causes. There are also some treatable medical problems such as sickness, fever, or pain. Babies also may be particularly fussy if their stomachs are upset due to a food sensitivity or gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Crying accompanied by a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or runny nose may indicate that your baby is sick. A food sensitivity may be the culprit if your baby’s stool contains blood or mucus or if there is excessive spit-up or vomiting even after switching formula or, if breast-fed, the mother has eliminated certain items (dairy, caffeine, etc.) from her diet. Gastroesophageal reflux disease may be suspected if the baby is upset and appears to be in pain during spit-up and shortly after feeding; this can be treated with medication. Addressing these potential underlying causes of your baby’s crying should curtail the fussiness.

What can parents do to soothe their baby?

To soothe the fussy baby, it may help to use a method that mimics the baby’s environment in the womb. They are often referred to as the 5 S’s:

Swaddling, which entails wrapping a baby’s arms tightly to the side
Shushing, or using white noise to relax your baby
Swinging or rocking your baby
Sucking on either the breast or a pacifier may calm your baby
Holding the baby in the side/stomach position with a small amount of pressure on their belly can also be helpful

There is no evidence that over-the-counter remedies such a simethicone gas drops or gripe water helps, but they are certainly safe to try and many parents find them beneficial.

If the above does not help, it is important to understand that the crying is not a reflection on parenting skills. If possible, take breaks from the task by seeking help from other family or friends. In time, the crying and fussing will get better.

If symptoms cannot be explained by any of the above, and the crying persists for hours per day and for days or weeks straight, parents should make an appointment with their pediatrician.

Learn more about Your Health.

Is Swimmer’s Ear Causing Your Child’s Ear Pain?

Jul 1, 2023 | Children's Health, Your Health

It’s the time of year when you and your kids may head to the pool to beat the heat. But for some people, swimmer’s ear may ruin the fun. Aldo Londino, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology at the Mount Sinai Health System and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital, explains the pesky condition, its treatment, and how parents can best guard against it.

What is swimmer’s ear and how would my child contract it?

Swimmer’s ear is the name commonly given to an infection of the ear canal, also known as acute otitis externa. This infection can happen at any time of the year but tends to peak in the summer months as people spend more time in the water. Lingering moisture in the ear canal after swimming can create an environment in which bacteria love to grow. Swimming can also wash away healthy ear wax that protects the ear canal from infections.

How is swimmer’s ear different than a ‘regular’ ear infection?

When people mention an ear infection, they are often speaking of a middle ear infection. Also known as acute otitis media, this is an infection behind the eardrum. It is often treated with antibiotics by mouth unless the child has ear tubes, is most common in very young children, and is often associated with an upper-respiratory-tract infection. A middle ear infection is not caused by bath water or pool water getting into the ears because the eardrum keeps the water from getting inside the body.

How do I know if my child has swimmer’s ear or a middle ear infection?

Children may have swimmer’s ear if they complain of pain and the ear canal has drainage or appears swollen. Often a light tug backwards and upwards on the outer ear will produce pain in the ear canal. Swimmer’s ear infections usually do not cause a fever.

Your child may have a middle ear infection if there is pain with a bulging ear drum on your pediatrician’s exam. There can sometimes also be drainage if the build-up of pus has leaked through the eardrum; however, the ear canal should not be swollen. Children with a middle ear infection also often have a fever or a cold associated with the infection.

Is the treatment for swimmer’s ear different?

Yes. Swimmer’s ear should be treated with ear drops alone. In fact, the ear drops often help faster and do a much better job at treating the infection than antibiotics taken by mouth. From time to time, the ear canal may be too swollen or have too much drainage for the ear drops to enter. A trip to the ear, nose, and throat doctor may be necessary in these instances to help remove excess drainage or place a small sponge in the ear to allow the ear drops to enter and work effectively. If your child is in pain, you can give them acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

What can I do to prevent my child from contracting swimmer’s ear?

If your child suffers from frequent swimmer’s ear, you may want to consider using earplugs to limit the amount of water getting into the ear canal. A hairdryer on a low cool setting after swimming can also help dry up excess water and reduce the frequency of swimmer’s ear infections.

Aldo Londino, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology at the Mount Sinai Health System and is Chief of the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital.