Halloween 2011: Tips From the Experts to Keep Kids Safe

It’s that time again…

What is your little one going to be for Halloween this year?? A ghost, a gorilla…maybe even Gaga (…Lady Gaga that is)??? Well whatever he or she chooses to be this year, one thing we want them ALL to be is SAFE! With that in mind we’ve gathered up the best Halloween tips and tricks that we could find from the most reliable safety sources we know.

Full credit…and our thanks go out to them.

1. DRESSING FOR THE OCCASION: (AAP)

• Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
• Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and Trick-or-Treat bags for greater visibility.
• Because masks can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives. Hats should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over eyes.
• When shopping for costumes, wigs and accessories look for and purchase those with a label clearly indicating they are flame resistant.
• If a sword, cane, or stick is a part of your child’s costume, make sure it is not sharp or too long.
• Do not use decorative contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from an eye care professional. They can cause pain, inflammation, and serious eye disorders and infections, which may lead to permanent vision loss.

2. OUT TRICK-OR-TREATING: (AAP and SafeKids)

• A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.
• If your older children are going alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home.
• Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries for all children and their escorts.
• Only go to homes with a porch light on and never enter a home or car for a treat.
• Because pedestrian injuries are the most common injuries to children on Halloween, remind Trick-or Treaters:
  • Stay in a group and communicate where they will be going.
  • Carry a cell phone for quick communication.
  • Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk. Never cut across yards or use alleys.
  • Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks. Never cross between parked cars or out driveways.
  • If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.
  • Don’t assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn’t mean others will!
• If you’re out driving:
  • Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
  • Anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day so you can spot children from greater distances.
  • Remember that costumes can limit children’s visibility and they may not be able to see your vehicle.

3. FOR THOSE WHO CAN EAT CANDY…: (AAP and AAPD)

• A good meal prior to parties and trick-or-treating will discourage youngsters from filling up on Halloween treats.
• Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.
• Remind kids to brush before (and after) eating candy: Tooth decay and cavities occur when sugar reacts to bacteria and dental plaque. Brushing before candy consumption reduces the amount of bacteria and plaque on the teeth.
• Watch out for hard candy: Don’t just monitor the amount of sugar a child consumes, but also how long they keep sweet treats in their mouths. Kids should eat the candy right away, limit chewy candies that stick to teeth, as well as hard candies, which will be slowly eaten.
• Monitor overall candy consumption: There are two recommended options.
  • Keep candy consumption limited to a few pieces a day given with a meal or a snack.
  • Alternatively, have the child eat whatever the amount the adult decides at one setting, and then have them brush their teeth afterwards and give or donate the remaining candy.

4. …AND FOR THOSE WITH FOOD ALLERGIES WHO NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS: (KFAF)

• Plan an alternate activity, such as going to the movies, hosting a slumber party, or having a scavenger hunt around the neighborhood for safe treats or other items.
• When trick-or-treating, carry your child’s emergency medicines.
• Let the kids dress up and run house to house, while you carry a safe snack in case they want one. Bring wipes to clean the little hands first!
• Give neighbors safe Halloween treats in advance to hand out to your food allergic child.
• Prepare a container filled with safe treats in advance, and then swap it for the treats collected.
• Try a variation of the Tooth Fairy: Sort through unsafe candy, then leave it in a safe spot for a “Sugar Sprite” or “Candy Fairy” who exchanges it for a small gift, toy, or money. [
• Trade unsafe candy for allergen-safe treats or age-appropriate non-food items once your children return home. Non-food ideas include coloring books, storybooks, pencils, stickers, stuffed animals, toys, cash and play dough.
• If permissible, donate leftover candy to children who may not be able to go out and trick or treat.
• Check all ingredients. Remember that treat-size candy may have different ingredients or may be made on different machinery than the same regular-size candy.

5. FINALLY, MAKE SURE TO STAY IN TOUCH (AT&T)

• Make sure wireless phones are fully charged.
• Pre-program contact information of parents, neighbors and emergency services into your and your child’s speed dial, and be sure they know how to access these numbers with ease.
• Establish boundaries – Families should have in place a familiarized route for children to follow while out on the town. Consider a small tracking device that can easily slip into your child’s candy bag like the Garmin GTU 10 and follow them via PC or mobile phone.
• Set up periodic alarms with Halloween-themed tones as a reminder for trick-or-treaters to text or call home between candy collecting stops.

Wishing you and your family a safe, happy and healthy Halloween!!

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Resources:

1. American Academy of Pediatrics:  Halloween Safety Tips
2. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: AAPD Offers Halloween Tooth To-Dos For A Fun and Healthy Holiday
3. Kids with Food Allergies Foundation:  Take the Tricks Out of Treats
4. Safe Kids  Halloween: A Night for Treats, Not Tragedies
5. AT&T: Halloween Safety Tips for Parents
   

Healthy Alternatives to Halloween Candy

Want some healthier alternatives to candy to pass out at Halloween?

Once you put your sugar-free but ghoulish thinking cap on, there are lots of healthy alternatives – edible and not – says Amy Jamieson-Petonic, a registered dietitian and an American Dietetic Association spokesperson and director of wellness coaching at Cleveland Clinic. Look for small accessories such as light-up rings or individual packs of baked chips or pretzels at local discount stores, party supply shops and wholesale clubs. “Have a few choices to satisfy different age groups,” she suggests.

Here are a few more of Jamieson-Petonic’s favorite affordable and healthy alternatives to candy:

• Packs of sugar-free gum
• Sugar-free hot chocolate packets
• Individual packs of roasted pumpkin seeds or trail mix
• Stickers or temporary tattoos
• Glo-sticks or slime
• Small bouncy balls
• Jump ropes
• Sidewalk chalk
• Beanbags or hacky sacks

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Editor’s Note:  We are all conerned about childhood nutrition these days, which makes Halloween a particularly “tricky” holiday.  But there’s more than one way to skin a black cat!…as we see from two different perspectives on Halloween treats.  Today’s post looked at candy alternatives, while yesterday’s post talked about letting kids have their candy on Halloween (as long as moderation prevails after the holiday). We hope you found some useful ideas to safely satisfy your “ghouls”!

Say Yes to Halloween Candy…But Only on Halloween

The reality is that the Halloween tradition is about children receiving candy as they go door to door in their Halloween costumes. Halloween only occurs once a year, so I say, let the children enjoy some candy. Don’t get me wrong. I love the healthier ideas out there, especially the toy and sticker alternative. But remember, candy is not the root of all evil – it is the frequency in which it is consumed that could pose a problem.

We live in a world where our children are already around lots of candy, so we must teach them proper behaviors around eating it. I see Halloween as a wonderful training opportunity on proper eating behaviors. So let the kids enjoy their Halloween candy, but don’t let it be consumed endlessly after the holiday. I allow my children to have more candy than usual on Halloween. In fact, I let them have all the candy they want this one night per year. My daughter has already learned firsthand that too much candy will give her a tummy ache. We had a great discussion when she was feeling sick after eating too much icing one time that too much candy will make her body feel bad.

After Halloween comes and goes this weekend, the frequency of candy consumption will go back to how it normally is at our home – a maximum of once or twice per week. So, my take on Halloween? Let the kids have their candy. And remember to use this time to teach them about the place that candy should have in their lives every other day of the year – as an occasional treat.

**************************************************************************************************************************** Editor’s Note:  We are all concerned about childhood nutrition these days, which makes Halloween a particularly “tricky” holiday.  But there’s more than one way to skin a black cat!…as we see from two different perspectives on Halloween treats.  Today’s post talks about letting kids have their candy on Halloween (as long as moderation prevails after the holiday), while tomorrow’s post looks at trading candy for healthier alternatives.  We hope you find some useful ideas to safely satisfy your “ghouls”!

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Safety Tips

Halloween is a fun time of costumes, candy, and carving of pumpkins. Unfortunately, one little slip and that fun could be over and you might be rushing to the emergency room.

Accidental lacerations and puncture wounds to the hands and fingers are common injuries seen in emergency rooms around the country during this time of year due to Halloween pumpkin carving. Some of these injuries require surgery and months of rehabilitation, such as the injury Brad Gruner, starting quarterback for the University of New Mexico, suffered last Halloween when he sliced a tendon in the pinkie of his throwing hand and was out for the rest of the season.

If you’ve ever carved a pumpkin before, you know from experience how slippery and tough they can be. It is all too easy for a knife to slip or for it to go through the skin and out the other side where your other hand might be holding it steady. Do yourself (and your family) a favor and follow a couple of safety tips this year to prevent an accident.

Leave the carving to the adults. Kids under the age of 14 should not do the actual carving or cutting. They can draw on the pumpkin the design they want it to have but let an adult carve it.

Use special pumpkin carving tools instead of kitchen knives. Pumpkin carving kits are easy to find in most stores in the weeks before Halloween. These tools are usually smaller, less sharp, and easier to control than a kitchen knife and less likely to cause a laceration or puncture wound. Make sure to use a well-lit, stable, dry surface to work on. Keep hands and tools clean and dry to minimize slips. While carving, leave the top on so you don’t stick your hand inside the pumpkin and risk cutting it.

Decorate your pumpkins without carving them. There are many ways to decorate a pumpkin that do not require risking an injury. Kids can use markers, paint, and even glue on embellishments to create a fun or scary pumpkin design.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Sources:

Safe Halloween pumpkin carving

Halloween Safety Tips That Are No Trick

Hand Surgeons Warn of Pumpkin Carving Dangers

On the Day After Halloween…the Truth about Candy & Cavities

Let’s be realistic, as much as we try to limit our children’s in take of sugar and candy, Halloween is way too much fun to not participate. Plus, we get to reap the rewards as the parents of the children with the over size pillow case for a trick or treat bag!

In all seriousness, candy is not the cause of cavities.. diet is! Every time a child puts something in his/her mouth, their PH is lowered and therefore is more acidic which helps break down food. This is all part of the digestive process along with chewing.

What is worse then a big bag full of Halloween candy? Soda pop! (Even sugar free or diet soda). Soda has phosphoric acid which creates the bubbles. We use citric in dentistry to roughen a tooth surface to help it bond to filling material. Another type of drink to avoid are sports drinks. They are also very acidic and cause problems when sipped on over a long period of time. Water is always the best way to rehydrate.

Cookies, chips and pretzels are long chains of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are sugar. When cookies, chips and pretzels get wet with saliva they get sticky and stay in the grooves of the teeth.

Believe it or not, chocolate, within moderation, is actually a better snack. The fat in chocolate makes the tooth slick so it does not stick to it.

We hand out chocolate for trick or treats! It’s ok to do this once a year.  Happy Halloween!

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