Dr. Jill Saffran Sedacca decided to combine her love of science and children into a career as a pediatrician. Dr. Sedacca loves all aspects of pediatrics but is especially drawn to caring for newborns. “I enjoy helping parents through those first few months with a newborn child, which can sometimes be difficult.” she explains. “I had colicky babies myself so I know firsthand what parents often go through.”

Dr. Sedacca is also experienced in helping families of children with autism. “It can be hard to get kids properly diagnosed if they have autism,” she explains. “And if they are diagnosed, getting them the proper care is also difficult. I always make an effort to help families dealing with autism as much as I can and put them in touch with the right resources.”

In her practice, Dr. Sedacca also gets a lot satisfaction helping adolescents through the teen years. “There’s been an increase in mental health issues with this age group in the last decade. There is just more anxiety and depression than seen previously. I think Reliant does a great job of screening for mental health issues and that helps to make sure that people who need it will get the proper care they need.”

During her career, Dr. Sedacca has noticed that children and teens are having more and more problems with obesity. When dealing with overweight children, she knows educating the family on nutrition is very important. “I teach them what their portion size should be and that they shouldn’t have more than two portions of anything even if it’s fruit. I also try to get them to exercise as much as possible and not to drink juice and soda. I know eating healthy is hard, but it’s really important not to fall into bad habits that could last a lifetime.”

In her spare time Dr. Sedacca enjoys working out on her Peloton and spending time with her Bernedoodle dog named Stella. She also likes to read, travel, dine out, and attend the theatre, as well as visit her children who live in New York City.