Does playing lato-lato pose possible health hazards for children? Expert weighs in

Lato-lato, or a toy with two balls connected by a string, has grown in popularity in recent months, especially among young children. But does the toy pose possible health hazards?

In an episode of "Pinoy MD," Dr. Leslie Mae Favenir talked about the pros and cons of playing lato-lato.

"Itong activity na ito pwedeng mag-create or mag-improve ng motor skills ng mga bata, right? So pero kapag 'yung sobrang tagal na na pinu-pull nila iyong forearm nila up and down, s'yempre nakakapagod so it's just like exercise," the pediatrician said.

However, the constant movement may eventually lead to muscle fatigue.

"During exercise no, mayroon tayong tinatawag na fatigue so hindi lang siya maganda para sa kalusugan ng mga bata, nakakapagod, so ma-strain na rin muscles nila," Favenir said.

In a recent advisory, the Food and Drug Administration warned the public against unregistered lato-lato products, including green lato-lato, glow-in-the-dark lato-lato, and lato-lato with lights.

According to the advisory, these did not undergo their required tests and may carry dangerous materials and potential hazards.

"Pag may lead content siya na pwedeng makasira sa brain ng mga bata, hindi dapat ito masubo ng mga bata kaya ito pinagbabawal," Favenir said.

Recently, a three-year-old kid drew laughs on social media after being recorded mimicking the movements of playing a lato-lato toy while being half-asleep.

According to the doctor, the kid experienced something similar to sleepwalking.

"Nangyayari ito during REM phase of sleep. During deep sleep ito iyong mga nangyayari. 'Di ba sa paglalaro ng lato-lato mayroong rhythm involved, so sa tingin ko sa rhythm na ito, subconsciously nagre-register pa rin sa mind nila ito," she said.

"So kapag naglalakad sila meron silang parang bini-beat nila sa mind nila so kaya nagmu-move din sila that translates to movement kaya sila ganyan."

On the brighter side, Dr. Leslie also acknowledged the health benefits of playing lato-lato.

"Para sa akin mas healthy ito, she said. "S'yempre mas nagke-create ng bonding ito sa mga peers nila especially sa mga family, 'yung personal interaction nila, socialization with one another, gumanda at hindi na sila nakatapat sa internet sa monitor lamang."

—Carby Basina/MGP, GMA Integrated News