May 9, 2025

Preparing for Baby: Medical Care Timeline from Birth to First Year 

As your partner in caring for your new baby, Manhattan Valley Pediatrics wants to give you an overview of what to expect regarding medical care and office visits during your baby’s first year. This comprehensive

May 1, 2025

HOW TO CHOOSE A PEDIATRICIAN

As an expectant parent in New York City, selecting the right pediatrician is one of the most important decisions you’ll make during pregnancy. Your pediatrician will not only be your partner in keeping your

April 16, 2025

A Pediatrician’s Guide to Thrush in Infants

    Parents of young infants will often come to the office concerned that their baby has thrush. Because a baby’s tongue can naturally be pink, white, or even black at times, thrush can be

April 7, 2025

The Great Tylenol vs. Motrin Debate (aka Acetaminophen vs. Ibuprofen)

As a pediatrician, I am often asked about the best choice between Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Motrin/Advil (Ibuprofen) for children. Both medications are effective at relieving pain and reducing fever, but some key differences guide my

November 16, 2024

Unpasteurized Milk: What Every Parent Should Know

Parents face a sea of information when it comes to food and beverage choices for their children. As a pediatrician, my priority is the health and safety of your children. Right now, a popular topic is

November 15, 2024

What to Know About Popular Respiratory Infections: Viral, Bacterial, and Walking Pneumonia

‘Tis the season of the respiratory infection. This season has been especially confusing with the increasing rate of walking pneumonia. As a pediatrician, I often encounter parents concerned about their child’s cough, runny nose, or

October 18, 2024

Listen: Dr. Hoffman “You might be panicking about the wrong stuff” on The Snooze Button Podcast with Brittany Sheehan

Listen on Apple or Spotify. Thanks to our host, Brittany Sheehan, mom and sleep and potty training expert of Brittany Sheehan Sleep and The Snooze Button. Overview: Cold & flu season is upon us, which means

October 15, 2024

Discover the Upper West Side: Fun and Affordable Activities for Younger Kids

At Manhattan Valley Pediatrics, we’re proud to serve all families in our diverse community. Our founders are both pediatricians and moms; we understand the importance of keeping your little ones engaged and entertained. Our

September 30, 2024

Tips for Staying Healthy in the City

We all know how hard it is, summer fades away and fall creeps up as your trying to get into the swing of things. Before you know it, with school or daycare or commuting to and

September 20, 2024

Top 10 Tips for Kids’ Fall Allergies

MVP invited Dr. Jennifer Toh from ENT and Allergy Associates to help us better understand how relieve common symptoms that come up when the late summer starts and fall creeps in. Check out Dr. Toh’

July 3, 2024

Fireworks, Concerts & Hearing in Kids

  MVP invited Dr. Alyssa Hackett from ENT and Allergy Associates to help us better understand how fireworks and attending sporting events like baseball games, concerts, and more can affect our children’s hearing. Check

June 14, 2024

Types of Bug Bites, Stings, Repellants and more!

As the weather warms up and we spend more time enjoying the outdoors here in New York City, it’s important to be prepared for potential insect encounters. While most bug bites are just annoying

June 8, 2024

Meningitis in Children to Young Adults: What Parents Need to Know

Meningitis is a severe infection that causes inflammation of the protective membranes (meninges) covering the brain and spinal cord. It can affect people of all ages, but infants, young children, and adolescents are at higher risk

April 19, 2024

10 Things Your Toddler Sleep Consultant and Pediatrician Want You to Know about Toddler Sleep Training

  Thank you to Jennie, your friendly toddler sleep consultant from Tiny Duck Parenting who provided MVP families with a free toddler sleep training webinar recently. We wanted to follow that training by sharing some tips

March 1, 2024

Anxiety Resources for Families

Books for Parents:    Our top recommendation – Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD by Eli R. Lebowitz Freeing Your Child from Anxiety by Tamar Chansky Helping Your Anxious Child: A Step-by-Step Guide

February 15, 2024

Toddlerhood and Tantrums Resources for Families

  Online resources: Big Little Feelings Instagram Account = @biglittlefeelings https://biglittlefeelings.com/   Dr. Rebecca Kennedy, Dr. Becky at Good Inside Instagram Account = @drbeckyatgoodinside   Dr. Rebecca Hershberg Instagram Account = @rebeccahershbergphd Book: The Tantrum Survival Guide

February 8, 2024

Depression Resources for Families and Patients

Long before the COVID pandemic, families with adolescents and teens wondered if their kid was acting normal for their age or was there something more troublesome going on. Depression is treatable when identified and aided by

February 1, 2024

Grief Resources for Families

We know that death and grief are hard and inevitable parts of life for us all. Explaining death and the feelings associated with grief may be difficult for families with children of all ages and stages

January 25, 2024

ADHD Resources for Families

Books: Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents by Russell Barkley Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare

January 11, 2024

Navigating Flu Season: A Parent’s Guide to Protecting Children

As flu season rolls in, parents face the annual challenge of protecting their children from this common yet potentially severe illness. Understanding the importance of flu vaccinations, recognizing symptoms in children, and adopting effective prevention strategies

December 21, 2023

Autism Resources for Families

There are many online resources for parents. Below are various websites to get started:   Start by reading the “100 Day Kit” on The Autism Speaks Website:  Children diagnosed at age 4 years or under: https

November 21, 2023

Essential Child Safety Tips for the Holiday Season

  As the holiday season approaches, NYC families anticipate festive celebrations and travel. However, amidst the excitement, it’s crucial to prioritize the safety of our kiddos.  This article offers essential child safety tips for

October 20, 2023

Does Your Child Have Croup?

Help! My child woke up in the middle of the night sounding like a seal?!    What is happening? This scenario is a common occurrence in childhood and is typical of croup. Croup is not the

October 10, 2023

What is the new RSV vaccine Beyfortus?

What is the RSV vaccine Beyfortus?   Beyfortus is not technically a vaccine, as it does not cause the body to make its own antibodies against RSV. Rather, it provides a dose of pre-made antibodies

September 19, 2023

Good news! Bite-Sized Parenting by Sharon Mazel is available today!

MVP is proud to announce the book launch of our friend, Sharon Mazel. Today is the “official” launch day of Bite-Sized Parenting, Your Baby’s 1st Year! We’re also excited

August 21, 2023

FAQ’s with MVP: Our Standard Office Fees

All are Welcome Here In recent months many pediatric practices have started charging annual fees to families in their practice. These fees are meant to cover the extra work pediatricians do outside of business hours; phone

July 31, 2023

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

What is Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (aka Coxsackie Virus)    Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD), aka Coxsackie, is a virus that causes sores around the mouth and throat and a rash on… you

July 18, 2023

Marijuana Use in Adolescents

Quick Stats:    It’s no surprise that adolescents commonly experiment with drugs and alcohol. More than 40% of adolescents in the US admit to trying an illicit drug. This is not limited to high schoolers

June 26, 2023

All Are Welcome Here, a Pride Month Blog by Dr. Prantik Saha

An Inclusive Practice and Ally for LGBTQIA+ Youth and Families    I think we can all agree that as parents, caretakers, pediatric care providers, and teachers, we want the best for all children. What does that

April 5, 2023

Does My Infant Need Vitamin D Supplementation?

At every newborn visit the topic of Vitamin D supplementation comes up, usually at the end of the visit as a side note- “oh by the way, you need to give your baby a vitamin D

March 24, 2023

Top 5 Questions to Ask When Looking for the Right Pediatrician

Like almost everything else related to child-rearing, people have very strong opinions about their pediatricians. Finding the right pediatrician can feel like a big task, especially for new parents. Here are five useful questions to

March 8, 2023

Why Are Kids So Stressed Today?

Stress is part of daily life no matter one’s age, and children and teens are not immune. With each passing year, life seems to move faster and become more complicated. The stakes seem to get

March 7, 2023

Starting Solids for Infants

  Starting solids is an important milestone for you and your baby!     It’s an exciting new stage in your baby’s development that often comes with a lot of questions: When should I

January 26, 2023

Your Child is Diagnosed with ADHD, Now What?

Sophia was at work when her phone rang. She looked down at the caller-id and immediately felt a pit in her stomach. It was Jack’s school again. What was it this time? His inability

September 22, 2022

Your baby may sleep less while teething — here’s how you can soothe their pain and help them rest

Is your baby’s teething interrupting their sleep?   Insider health writer Courtney Telloian interviewed our very own Dr. Judith Hoffman to get the “inside” scoop on what families can expect when babies

July 12, 2022

Sunscreen & Heat Safety Tips for Families

Happy summer MVP families! Hope you’re staying hydrated and finding lots of ways to stay active while having fun as a family! Please refer to this post when shopping for sunscreen and reapplying wherever your

June 23, 2022

Pride 2022: A Review of LGBTQIA Resources w/ Dr. Saha

LGBTQ Legislation Across Country The flurry of legislation that is being passed in many states in this country has targeted LGBTQIA communities in an alarming fashion. In Florida, there is a bill that has passed making

April 20, 2022

Our IG Live with UWS Allergist, Dr. Loewy

MVP talked Seasonal Allergies with a local allergist, Dr. Elizabeth Loewy. We at MVP were lucky enough to have some time for a one on one conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Loewy, a beloved Upper West Side

April 7, 2022

Dr. Hoffman’s Experience with Sleep Training her 4.5 month old

DR. HOFFMAN HAD A BABY RECENTLY As my second child approached four months, my husband and I were getting a lot of “you look tired” comments. I was investing in a lot of under-eye concealer

March 25, 2022

RSV- What is it and why do we see it? ⁠

RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, it is a viral infection that we usually see in the late fall and winter. RSV usually causes a regular old cold in most children and adults. In younger babies

March 10, 2022

Top 10 Questions Asked by Expectant Parents

1) How quickly after we leave the hospital do we need to see our pediatrician? We generally see newborns 2-3 days after you leave the hospital. The pediatrician who sees your baby at the hospital

March 2, 2022

Teen Mental Health Wellness

Our tweens and teens are a vital part of our active community. Today we want to recognize the struggles that teens face in these digitally charged days. For World TEEN Mental Wellness Day we want to