Pediatrics

Infectious Diseases

Children of all ages and states of health can develop bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections. Sometimes these diseases require complex treatment approaches. At NewYork-Presbyterian, our pediatric infectious disease specialists are known for their unparalleled expertise with the most complex cases of acute and chronic infectious diseases, including congenital or newborn infections, infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms, pneumonia, bone and joint infections, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19. We take a multidisciplinary approach to address your child's unique needs and customize a plan of care to restore your child's health and quality of life.

About Our Program

At NewYork-Presbyterian, pediatric infectious disease specialists are highly skilled in preventing, evaluating, and treating children with acquired or congenital immune system disorders.

Our experts collaborate in multidisciplinary teams with pediatric specialists and subspecialists throughout NewYork-Presbyterian to care for infants and children with illnesses known or suspected to be caused by infections with viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites. Our team also treats infections that involve multiple body systems, unusual or severe infections, and infections related to abnormal or weakened immune systems including AIDS. We specialize in caring for the most vulnerable young patients, including preventing and treating infections in children who are having organ or bone marrow transplantation and those with congenital heart disease or lung disease, cancer, or other conditions that increase their susceptibility.

In our clinics located throughout Manhattan and White Plains, New York, we provide a wide range of testing and treatments, including blood work, cultures and laboratory tests, fever workup, HIV prevention, prescriptions, and travel medicine.

Our teams can see your child as an outpatient. If their situation is more acute, we provide a continuum of expert, compassionate care, from hospitalization to follow-up outpatient visits and telehealth services.

What we treat

We offer a comprehensive range of services for the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of childhood infectious diseases, including:

congenital and neonatal infections
fever of unknown etiology or periodic fever
pneumonia
skin infections
bone and joint infections
meningitis
viral infections
Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses
antibiotic-resistant infections
HIV/AIDS
infections in immunocompromised children
sexually transmitted diseases
COVID-19 and complications from COVID-19

Our Approach to Care

Holistic and Comprehensive Care

We recognize that every child with an infectious disease has a unique set of symptoms, circumstances, and needs. We take a holistic approach to care that considers the entire patient, including physical, emotional, and social factors. We strive to partner with patients and families in shared decision-making, empowering them with knowledge, support, and the most effective treatment options to achieve the best possible outcome for every child.

Multidisciplinary Team Approach

Collaboration with other pediatric experts is vital when caring for young patients with unusual and complex infectious diseases such as congenital or newborn infections, complicated pneumonia, fever of unknown origin, bone and joint infections, HIV/AIDS, infections caused by multidrug resistant organisms, and tuberculosis. This team approach ensures that your child will receive the best care possible.

Empowering You with Information, Support and Guidance

Managing an infectious disease can be an overwhelming and isolating process for you and your child. Our team is here for you through every phase of care. We work closely with you to ensure that you and your child always feel supported and empowered. We provide the most current information on all treatment options, guidance, and support that will enable you to make the best decisions for your child's health and well-being.

Parents As Team Members

As a parent, only you can provide important information about your child. You can also help other team members shape your child's personalized treatment program based on your child's physical, emotional, and practical needs. Your input is critical for making final decisions regarding your child's care, and our multidisciplinary team is here to work alongside you and your family to achieve the greatest possible outcomes for your child.

Specialized Services

General Infectious Disease Services

At NewYork-Presbyterian, our experts specialize in preventing, diagnosing, and treating childhood infections. We have vast experience with all types of pediatric infections, from common issues to the most complex problems. We also offer care for adolescents, including preventive services for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and travel medicine advice.

TeleHealth Services

At NewYork-Presbyterian, our doctors offer virtual visits for all patients, including those at home on intravenous and oral antibiotic therapy. Appointments with an infectious disease specialist are conducted using a convenient, secure video chat app on their smartphone or tablet. Patients who are on an intravenous antibiotic or long-term oral antibiotic therapy can be easily monitored through virtual visits when deemed medically appropriate. We also provide expert advice to patients and physicians across the country via telehealth.

Travel Medicine Services

If you and your child are going abroad, we can advise you on how best to reduce the risk of acquiring illnesses during your journey.

Vaccine Advice

NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital's infectious disease team is active in the Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment Network, a collaboration between the CDC and seven U.S. clinical centers to improve vaccine safety and evaluate adverse effects following immunization.

Adolescent Sexual Health

NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center offers sexual health clinics that provide comprehensive care, testing, and counseling for teenagers in Manhattan and White Plains, New York. Services include:

testing, treatment, prevention, and counseling for sexually transmitted diseases
pre-college physicals and immunizations
new patient and follow-up appointments for all infectious diseases
HIV and HIV prevention services

Pediatric and Adolescent HIV Clinics

Young people at risk for or living with HIV face unique medical and emotional challenges. The specialized care teams at NewYork-Presbyterian's two pediatric HIV clinics — NewYork-Presbyterian & Weill Cornell Medicine's Outpatient HIV Clinic and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia's Comprehensive AIDS Program — understand these challenges. At both clinics, our physicians provide expert and compassionate care for children and adolescents with HIV. Clinic patients also receive testing, treatment, prevention, and counseling for sexually transmitted diseases.

NewYork-Presbyterian & Weill Cornell Medicine's Outpatient HIV Clinic

The NewYork-Presbyterian & Weill Cornell Medicine's Outpatient HIV Clinic offers multidisciplinary health care to people with HIV/AIDS and infants exposed to maternal HIV during pregnancy. Our multidisciplinary team oversees each patient's care, offering:

General pediatric and well-child care
HIV counseling and testing for children and their families
Psychiatric and developmental services and referrals
Inpatient pediatric services
Palliative care and referrals
Health education
Caregiver support groups
Obstetrics and gynecology
Pediatric nutrition
Dental services

NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center's Comprehensive AIDS Program

The NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia Comprehensive AIDS Program (CPH) provides the highest quality primary care to people living with HIV (PLWH) or at risk for HIV, as well as patients with other infectious diseases. The CPH offers two programs that address the needs of children and adolescents infected or affected by HIV/AIDS:

The Women and Children Care Center provides perinatal care for pregnant women with HIV and primary care for children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.
Project STAY (Services to Assist Youth) provides comprehensive services to high-risk and HIV-infected adolescents and young adults, including HIV counseling and testing for high-risk youth, comprehensive medical, psychosocial, and case management services to young people living with HIV, and strategies to address patients' health-compromising behaviors.

Why Choose Us

Nationally Ranked Children's Hospitals

Both NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital are among the nation's leading centers for the diagnosis and treatment of childhood diseases. They are major referral centers for complex and rare disorders in infants, children, and adolescents.

Leaders in Pediatric Infectious Disease

Your child's healthcare team includes internationally recognized leaders in infectious disease diagnosis, treatment, and research. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health consult us regularly for our expertise.

Experts in Unusual and Complex Infectious Diseases

We bring profound expertise to treat children with unusual and complex diseases such as congenital or newborn infections, complicated pneumonia, bone, and joint infections, fever of unknown origin, HIV/AIDS, infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms, and tuberculosis. We work with pediatric specialists and subspecialists throughout NewYork-Presbyterian to treat young patients with even the most complex infectious diseases.

Specializing in Care for the Most Vulnerable Children

We specialize in preventing and treating infections in children who are having organ or bone marrow transplantation, as well as those with congenital heart disease or lung disease, cancer, or another condition that increases their susceptibility.

Access to World-Class Pediatric Specialists

Your child's healthcare team has access to all of the various pediatric medical and surgical subspecialists who practice at NewYork-Presbyterian, ensuring that all of your child's medical needs can be addressed.

Propelling the Field Through Research

We're involved in research projects ranging from basic science to public health, hospital infection control, new antibiotics, vaccines, and infectious disease-related technology to improve children's futures faced with infectious diseases. Your child may be able to participate in one of our clinical trials.