Why Vaccines are Safe and Critically Important

Nov 2, 2017 | Children's Health, Your Health

Vaccines represent one of the most important advances in medicine.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)—an organization of 66​,000 pediatricians committed to the well-being of all children—wholeheartedly endorses the recommended vaccination schedule created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).​ Despite this, many believe that vaccinations are unnecessary, or even dangerous. Micah Resnick, MD, a board certified pediatrician at Mount Sinai Doctors Queens, explains why vaccines are safe and critically important.

Misinformation about vaccination is prevalent. Poorly conducted, debunked studies claim vaccines cause autism, and well-meaning but ill-advised parents assert that too many vaccinations are administered. If you have concerns about vaccinations, I encourage you to talk to your child’s health care provider. Get your questions answered. Feel comfortable. Then, get your child vaccinated.

Here are the facts: overwhelming scientific evidence supports the safety of vaccines.

Children who, for whatever reason, are not vaccinated against vaccine-preventable diseases are at risk for those diseases.  Unvaccinated children also pose a significant risk for children who are medically exempt from receiving vaccines. Those medically exempt include immunosuppressed children who may be receiving chemotherapy, and children who have a severe allergy to a vaccine component or have another immunosuppressive condition.

When almost all children receive vaccines for vaccine-preventable diseases, herd immunity—a form of indirect protection from infectious disease—is achieved.  Essentially, when a large percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, a measure of protection is provided for individuals who are not immune.

What happens when we do not achieve herd immunity? Preventable outbreaks.  In 2015, a measles outbreak started at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. As a result, more than 100 people contracted the extremely contagious disease. According to AAP’s statistics, more than 3 percent of kindergartners in California claimed a non-medical exemption for vaccination at the time of the outbreak. Of those who came down with measles, 83 percent were either unvaccinated or of unknown vaccine status. Forty percent of the cases were in children too young to receive the vaccine, so without herd immunity, these children remain vulnerable. We must all do our part to protect our families, our neighbors, and our fellow citizens.

There are some side effects to vaccines—tenderness at the vaccination site, mild fever, fussiness, and even a high fever which may prompt a visit to your pediatrician. But the side effects are temporary. By contrast, contraction of a vaccine-preventable disease can result in permanent disability. For example, though rare, infection from mumps can cause deafness. A parent’s best defense is vaccination.

I may sound like a bit of a scold here, but it is a reflection of how strongly I feel about helping you protect your children. During visits, I encourage parents to follow the CDC vaccination schedule.  I answer their questions and highlight resources like the CDC’s “For Parents: Vaccines for Your Children” and this FAQ.

Please remember that this information is not a substitute for direct medical advice.

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Resnick

Micah Resnick, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician at Mount Sinai Queens and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His clinical interests include well-child care, adolescent health, preventive medicine, and patient and family education. By educating patients and their families, he empowers them to make healthy decisions and strengthens their compliance with clinical recommendations.

Why Does My Child Need So Many Check-Ups?

Oct 16, 2017 | Children's Health, Your Health

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends approximately 10 well-baby and well-child visits in just the first two years. These routine checkups are very important in assessing your child’s development. Micah Resnick, MD, a board certified pediatrician at Mount Sinai Doctors Queens, explains why.

Well visits are used to make sure your baby is thriving, check the child’s progress against broad established milestones, and provide routine immunizations. You can take a look at the Developmental Milestones Checklist created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, the AAP has a recommended vaccination schedule for those 18 years and younger.

During well visits, your baby will be checked from head to toe. Your child will be weighed and measured, including the head circumference.   Pediatricians will examine the baby’s heart, lungs, skin, abdomen, and more.  The first year is such an important time, filled with rapid, and often delightful, changes. While I always want to assure parents that all is well, these visits give pediatricians a better chance to discover issues early.

At each visit, your pediatrician will learn more about your baby’s temperament and development.   Does your baby make eye contact, smile, and laugh?  Is your child able to support his or her head?  During early development, I always recommend that parents talk with and read to their baby frequently.  Remember, it is never too early to start reading books with your child. Please try to limit screen time before the age of two.

I also take this opportunity to check in on parents. How are you and your partner getting along together? Have you been getting out together without your child? What do you do when problems really get to you? I talk to parents about their interactions with their child, asking questions like: Do you feel attached to your child? Does your child appear attached to you? I try to take the time to question the parents further about their home life. I like to ask about what a typical day looks like. How is the multitude of tasks required to raise a child shared. If things aren’t going so well at home, if parents have more concerns, or we just need more time to talk, I often ask parents to follow up with me in a week or two for more discussion. I am a pediatrician because I love to advocate for children, but I also enjoy taking care of families.

As your child gets older, she will take a more active role in the visit.  Pediatricians will ask your child questions and try to engage her in healthy habits including engagement in exercise and good nutrition and sleep habits.  For your adolescent child, annual exams present an excellent opportunity to discuss behavioral and socio-emotional concerns, plan for the future, and complete a physical exam to ensure that puberty and growth are progressing appropriately.

I believe in empowering all parents and children. I want my patients to help me improve the quality of care provided by thinking about the visit ahead of time and writing down any questions and concerns.  I do my best to answer patient questions and provide resources to help families stay healthy.

Please remember that this information is not a substitute for direct medical advice.

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Resnick

Micah Resnick, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician at Mount Sinai Queens and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His clinical interests include well-child care, adolescent health, preventive medicine, and patient and family education. By educating patients and their families, he empowers them to make healthy decisions and strengthens their compliance with clinical recommendations.

 

What is a well baby visit?

These visits allow your pediatrician to evaluate the overall health of your child and offer a good opportunity to ask burning questions about feeding, rashes, sleep, and toilet training. Bring a list if you can, to address any general questions on how to improve care and support prevention strategies.

The first well visit takes place when your baby is around three days old. Your child will then be scheduled for a visit at two weeks old, and then two, four, six, nine, and 12 months.

After the 15-month, 18-month, and two year checkups, annual well visits are recommended. Sometimes, Dr. Resnick recommends scheduling a visit for toddlers at 30 months.

How Do You Know If Your Baby Is Developing Properly?

May 28, 2017 | Ask the Doc, Children's Health

“Having worked with children for 30 years and being a pediatrician for 20 years, I can tell you each child is unique and develops at their own progress. But at each pediatric visit, we’ll make sure that we’re hitting our developmental milestones and making sure we don’t miss anything to worry about. At the early onset, the first couple of months, these newborns are almost overwhelmed. So don’t look for too much too early. But, by four to six weeks, they should be engaging with us, giving that us that energy, the back and forth, maybe looking around the world and then making that eye contact with mom or dad and then smiling and engaging. By three or four months, these guys are talking and almost laughing with us. By nine months old, they’re pulling to a stand and cruising around, so we have to safety proof that house for sure. We’ll go over developmental milestones at each visit here. We’ll make sure we’re hitting those milestones and, if not, earlier intervention is beneficial to all kids. Schedule your first visit with us in the newborn period, and then we’ll start that path together, looking for and celebrating their developmental milestones.”

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.

Make an appointment with Dr. Gilgoff
Make an appointment at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights

How Do You Get Your Baby On A Schedule?

May 24, 2017 | Ask the Doc, Children's Health

“I’d like to tell you the secret: There is no schedule. In the very beginning, newborns are completely overwhelming themselves. They’re all over the place, and so the more that we try to get them on the schedule, the more frustrating it can be. It’s just more comfortable to follow your heart and your soul – and not think so much. Watch the baby, learn them, read their cues – their feeding schedule is all over the place. That’s why we say feeding on demand and, whether we’re giving formula or nursing, we’re going to support you in that quest here at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights. We follow the baby’s lead, and then that becomes our schedule in the first couple of months. Newborns are a different creature, perhaps even until three months old. Then you can play your card and get them on a schedule. We’ll talk about sleeping, nutrition, development at each pediatric visit. So even from the first newborn visit at day of life three, four, or five we’ll give a plan for you. Then you’ll play your card when the time is right. But, in the newborn period, just buckle up and get ready for the ride. It can be very intense. It’s extremely rewarding but can be completely overwhelming. So hang in there, and we’ll do it together.”

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.

Make an appointment with Dr. Gilgoff
Make an appointment with Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights

What’s The First Thing New Parents Should Know?

May 24, 2017 | Ask the Doc, Children's Health

“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.

Make an appointment with Dr. Gilgoff
Make an appointment at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights

Does My Baby Need Vitamins?

May 24, 2017 | Ask the Doc, Children's Health

“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.

Make an appointment with Dr. Turner
Make an appointment at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights

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