“I don’t really like talking about kids getting sick. It’s not really a fun topic. But we need to talk about it. Especially as a newborn, your baby is very vulnerable to the germs outside. Everybody asks me when can I travel? When can I go on the subway? When can I go on a plane? There’s no easy answer. It’s all kind of a nerdy risk-benefit analysis.The germs are out there. They’re not just in the air, they’re from a person. So maybe there’s a five-foot rule. If you go too close to somebody and they cough on you or they touch you with a germ, now your child can get sick. What do we do when we are faced with a fever or an illness? The first step is bringing the fever down and then doing a quick analysis. Is our child breathing faster? Are they lethargic? That really needs to be done quickly. But if your youngster perks up and plays after you bring down the fever, hopefully it’s more of a viral illness. Here at Mount Sinai Doctors in Brooklyn Heights, we have same day sick visits every day because we know that’s an emergency when your child gets sick. So, we’ll go over at each visit what to look for, when to worry, and when not to worry. But a high fever, fast breathing, true lethargy, repetitive vomiting — this could be an emergency. So call us with any questions, and we’ll figure it out 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.