month-november

Our Monthly Calendar

Learn more about our upcoming events sponsored by Premier Pediatrics. When it comes to taking care of your child, there is so much that you can learn. At Premier Pediatrics, we celebrate growing families by providing the kind of care you and your child deserves.

My Child, My City

We are proud to care for families in the greatest city in the world. There’s raising kids—and then there’s raising kids in NYC. That’s why we created My Child, My City, a series of articles dedicated to helping families raise healthy children in the city we love. Our goal is to help you tap into all that New York has to offer so your kids can grow up resilient, curious, confident, and healthy—true New Yorkers.

Navigating Cars with Children in NYC

From the day you leave the hospital with the newborn, you are faced with the question about car transportation with children in NYC. We are including a link to the most up to date guidelines for infant, toddler, and childhood car travel but the basic theme is rear facing is safer and listen to the weight limits on your specific car seat. Dr. Julie was kind enough to offer three excellent products that can be super helpful if you are taking off from JFK or looking to hail a cab on Madison Avenue.

Cosco Kids Scenera: This car seat is relatively affordable, thin, and light. This makes it ideal for air travel.

Ride Safer Harness: This is a wonderful alternative for situations where it is hard to carry a bulky car seat around. It is a harness that is easier to lug around and it meets the federal motor vehicle standards. It is important to make sure your child has the maturity to sit with it on and meets the weight and height standards. Ultimately, it is not as safe as a traditional car seat so I would not use this as your primary option but it is super helpful when it is just not practical to lug around a traditional seat.

Bubble Bum: This one is genius. It is an inflatable booster seat for kids 4-11. It will be a huge space saver for families packing for flights, rental cars, or a day out on the town where there will be the occasional taxi ride.

We are including a guide to the most up to date car seat recommendations according to NYS. Parents with children under 13 should all read this attachment. I would like to clarify one point. Ideally, your child should be rear-facing until they outgrow the rear facing convertible seat even if they are over 2 years of age.

Office Closures

Our office will be closing early on Wednesday, November 26th.

We will be closed on Thursday, November 27th in observance of Thanksgiving.

On Friday, November 28th one office location will be open for urgent care visits.

Asked and Answered

Questions posed by patients and parents this month.

Q: Is caffeine ok for adolescents?

A: The medical consensus is that caffeine-containing drinks should be avoided in children and adolescents, and there is no age at which routine consumption is considered safe. Some organizations, such as Health Canada, set 2.5 mg/kg/day as an upper limit for occasional exposure—not as a recommendation for regular use—and this does not mean caffeine is “safe” at any age. Most guidelines emphasize minimizing or avoiding caffeine, especially in children under 12.

Caffeine can cause sleep disturbances, anxiety, headaches, and cardiovascular effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure in children, who are more sensitive due to lower body mass and less tolerance. Regular or high caffeine intake may also interfere with neurodevelopment and social development, with no evidence of benefits for the developing brain.

Q: Should children use electrolyte solutions during exercise?

A: Electrolyte solutions (sports drinks containing sodium and carbohydrates) are recommended for children during exercise lasting longer than 1 hour, as they help maintain hydration, support performance, and reduce the risk of electrolyte imbalances such as hyponatremia.  For exercise sessions shorter than 1 hour, water or a sports drink is generally sufficient, but hydration strategies should be individualized to avoid both dehydration and overhydration.

If you are a serious athlete in a particular sport, you should confer with your coach to create an appropriate hydration plan.  Also, it is important to remember that electrolyte solutions are the first line therapy for oral rehydration from diarrheal illnesses.