Health & Development

Raising healthy children starts before birth. Good prenatal care supports healthy birth weights and reduces pre-term births, resulting in fewer health issues for babies. Some pregnant women may experience complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. But with regular and quality prenatal care, you’ll be better able to manage any health issues that may come up.” (March of Dimes).

Research shows that a combination of healthy eating and physical activity is essential to a child’s overall health and development. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “healthy eating and regular physical activity can prevent many chronic conditions.” In addition, research has shown that children who are physically active have higher academic achievements, lower BMI, and less disease.

Taking care of your children’s teeth is important too. From America’s Pediatric Dentists, the Big Authority On Little Teeth – “Get It Done In Year One”

Check out the Southington Farmer’s Market, held every Friday afternoon on the Town Green from July to October. In addition to finding healthy food, this is a great outing for young children. They can meet a farmer, taste samples, practice math skills by counting, grouping, and ordering (by size or color) the produce, and learn more about where food comes from.

Looking for a health care provider in town? Check out our Resources page.

The ECCS wants all Southington Families to be happy and healthy!

Common Childhood Illnesses – Children are more susceptible to illness due to their underdeveloped immune systems. This list is meant to highlight typical infant and childhood illnesses but should not be considered a complete list.

Developmental Milestone – Developmental milestones are markers of a child’s development from infancy to childhood. They help determine if a child is undergoing typical development, meaning more than 75% of children can do them, versus if a child has delays in a given area or over multiple areas. We have created charts to look at the developmental milestones from ages 2 months to 60 months.

Development Concerns – Are you concerned about your child’s development, behavior, or mental health? Here are services the State of CT and Southington Schools provide and links to third-party advocates.

Mental Health – Mental health is just as important as physical health to a child’s well-being. Scientific research has shown that a child’s early experiences—whether good or bad —affect the development of children’s brains and their life-long health. Even very young children can experience childhood trauma or mental health issues, and it is better to identify and address any issues early. Children should also be taught how to understand and manage their emotions through a process called social and emotional learning.

Social Emotional Learning – Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. (Definition from CASEL.)

Sparkler Mobile App – Sparkler is a free mobile app for Connecticut families starting in pregnancy through age 5 and programs serving those families. It is available to use in English or Spanish, iOS or Android, smartphone or tablet.

Speech – Curious about your child’s speech and language development and what is appropriate? This chart provides some milestones.

Vision – According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, “good vision is key to a child’s physical development, success in school and overall well-being. The vision system is not fully formed in babies and young children, and equal input from both eyes is necessary for the brain’s vision centers to develop normally.