Toxic Stress, ACEs & Premature Birth: Protecting Children's Futures

How do premature birth, toxic stress, environmental health, and childhood experiences shape lifelong development? In this episode of Early Childhood Chats, Andy Roszak sits down with pediatric and neonatal nurse practitioner Dr. Michelle Kelly of Villanova University and the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment to discuss the hidden influences affecting children's physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Topics include: • Premature birth and lifelong outcomes • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) • Toxic stress and child development • Environmental health risks including lead, air pollution, and secondhand smoke • Developmental milestones every educator should watch for • How Head Start, childcare providers, and early educators can make a lasting difference • Practical strategies to support children and families Whether you're an early childhood educator, childcare director, Head Start professional, healthcare provider, parent, or policymaker, this conversation provides practical insights backed by research that can help children thrive. Subscribe for more conversations on early childhood education, child safety, health, emergency preparedness, and family wellbeing. Learn more: https://www.villanova.edu/university....   / michelle-kelly-11213693   https://www.villanova.edu/university/... pacer.net #EarlyChildhood #ChildDevelopment #HeadStart #PrematureBirth #EarlyEducation #EnvironmentalHealth #ACEs #Childcare #Podcast #EarlyChildhoodChats ---------------------------- Early Childhood Chats is hosted by Andrew Roszak - JD, MPA, EMT-P Executive Director at the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. The Institute for Childhood Preparedness is proud to use its decades of experience to offer comprehensive and expert disaster and emergency preparedness trainings live in-person, via webinar, and on-demand online. // Visit: https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/ to find out more // Schedule your training today https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org... FOLLOW US   / childhoodpreparedness     / childprepared     / childprepared     / institute-for-childhood-preparedness   © Institute for Childhood Preparedness 2025 all rights reserved