Two new studies out this month examine obesity in children under two years of age. In an accompanying editorial, Robert C. Whitaker of Temple's Center for Obesity Research and Education discusses obesity prevention strategies in infants. "Parents should be empowered to make household policies and practices about the ways their infants eat, play and sleep," he wrote. "Doing so requires parents to make active decisions about the goals they have for their children's development."

Many parents buy too many fancy, expensive, electronic toys for their children at the holidays. Temple psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek says there are lots of better choices out there this year, including "new construction toys in which you get to build amusement parks, you get to build castles." Hirsh-Pasek advises parents to avoid toys that do the work for your kids. Make sure your gift requires "90 percent kid involvement and 10 percent toy," because "children like to figure things out themselves."