Health Notes: Good gifts, bad gifts

Talk about it

Parents and relatives should think about good health when buying gifts for children, a St. Luke’s hospital pediatrician said.

Adults should do more than avoid small parts and lead paint, Dr. Noelle Westrum said in a St. Luke’s news release. They should select gifts that encourage imaginative play and physical activity, and try to avoid electronic toys and gadgets that can contribute to childhood obesity and behavioral issues.

On Westrum’s good-gifts-for-kids list: books, building blocks, sporting equipment, arts and crafts.

Screen time — whether it involves television, computer, tablet, smart phone or electronic games — should be limited, Westrum said. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children older than 2 spend no more than two hours a day in front of a screen, and that those younger than 2 get no screen time at all, Westrum said.

Tags: local, news, health, columns