Newtown Center Pediatrics

12/01/2025

❤️❤️❤️

12/01/2025

If you're not feeling festive this season, that's okay 🦃 Help is always available if you or someone you know is struggling with or substance use

💛 Help yourself and share to help others: samhsa.gov/find-help

12/01/2025

Screens aren’t the enemy — but balance matters. Many parents are unsure what 'healthy screen time' actually looks like for different ages. This visual breaks it down simply, so you can make informed choices that support your child’s wellbeing.

Remember: it’s not just how long a child is online, but how they’re using screens, how regulated they are before and after, and how supported they feel in between.

Use this guide as a starting point, not a strict rulebook — every young person’s needs are different.
What feels realistic for your family right now?

12/01/2025

Preteens who own smartphones are more likely to face depression, obesity, and poor sleep than their peers, according to a new University of Pennsylvania–led study 📱😟.

Why it matters: About half of American kids own a smartphone by age 11 📊.

Pediatric health groups have recommended appropriate screen time for youths, but there are no public health guidelines on the appropriate age for kids to first get a smartphone, the study says.

What they found: Kids with a smartphone at age 12 had:
• 31% higher odds of depression 😞
• 40% higher odds of obesity ⚠️
• 62% higher odds of insufficient sleep 😴

The study analyzed data from 10,588 youths as part of NIH-supported research, and the effects were specific to smartphone ownership — not tablets or smartwatches.

Zoom out: Another study found that just a one-week social media detox boosted mental health for young adults .

The bottom line: "Smartphone ownership offers unique challenges as it may grant youth unfettered access to a world for which they may not be ready, without the discipline to effectively manage their own use," the study says.❤️📵.

Parents, take the Wait Until 8th Pledge today!
✅ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✅ Need something sooner? Try a basic phone or watch (see our website!).
✅ When you do say yes, start slow — remove the browser & App Store.
✅ Delay social media until 16+.

You’ve got this, parents. We’re in this together.🙌

Sources: Axios and New York Times
The findings will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal Pediatrics.

12/01/2025

12/01/2025

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is reaffirming its recommendation that all newborns receive their first dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, with the full series completed by 18 months. Hepatitis B can cause lifelong liver disease, liver cancer, or even death. The vaccine provides strong, long-term protection and has been safely used for decades.

Read the full press release for details and guidance from Commissioner Juthani.

https://portal.ct.gov/dph/home/newsroom/press-releases---2025/dph-reaffirms-hepatitis-b-vaccine-for-babies?language=en_US

12/01/2025

12/01/2025

Early-infancy infection, inherited allergy may amplify risk of childhood asthma

Children born to an asthmatic parent and not hospitalized for RSV bronchiolitis were at nearly double the risk of asthma than those born to parents without asthma.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv/early-infancy-rsv-infection-inherited-allergy-may-amplify-risk

12/01/2025

12/01/2025

Holiday trees are a festive and fun way to celebrate the holidays and help your child feel connected to family traditions. Here are some quick tips to keep your holiday decorations fun and safe for everyone this year. Learn more: https://bit.ly/2ATCltB

12/01/2025

12/01/2025

If you don't listen to this advice, you might regret it.