Departments
Health Matters
|
Week of 22 October 1999 |
Vol. III, No. 11 |
Health Matters
Ghosts and ghouls: keeping Halloween safe for youngsters
My children would prefer to go trick-or-treating on their own this coming Halloween, but I am concerned. What can I do to ensure their safety while we stay at home, and how can I keep them from eating too many goodies at once?
Halloween has become a special worry for parents during the past decades as safety concerns have heightened. Unlike other holidays, where children celebrate with relatives and friends, the Halloween trick-or-treat ritual exposes children to dozens of strangers, the hazards of nighttime traffic, and food from sources that cannot easily be traced. Despite these hazards, children can have a fun and safe Halloween with some basic precautions and assistance from neighbors.
According to Amanda Rodriguez, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine and director of the Pediatric Latino Clinic at Boston Medical Center, children should always be accompanied by an adult. To determine if older children should go out without adult supervision, consider a variety of other factors, such as the safety of the neighborhood and the size of the trick-or-treat group.
If you do allow your children to go unaccompanied, make sure they travel in groups for maximum safety. Scope out the planned route and walk the area with the children during daylight hours so they become familiar with the neighborhood and the traffic rules. Have them avoid busy thoroughfares if possible, and always tell them to stay away from strangers.
"Remind your children to avoid strangers," Rodriguez says. "They should approach only lit houses and should never enter a stranger's house. Most important, they should carry a flashlight with them after dusk."
To monitor your children's progress, prepare a list of neighbors and their telephone numbers. Designate specific neighbors to call you once your children have reached their house. The length of time your children spend trick-or-treating will be determined by the size of the neighborhood and the number of neighbors participating.
Once your children are prepared, make sure that their costumes are safe. Dress them in bright-colored, flame-resistant costumes appropriate for midautumn temperatures, which can be quite cold in northern areas. Avoid masks, as they can obstruct the children's view of traffic and other hazards, as well as baggy or large costumes, which can easily get caught, be stepped on, or catch fire from a nearby jack-o-lantern. Also, use nontoxic, nonhypoallergenic makeup for face and body paint. The night before your children go trick-or-treating, apply some makeup to make sure they are not allergic.
Making sure goodies are
safe
Children may want to eat some candy along their route, but
discourage this as much as possible. Once home with their
booty, carefully inspect all their treats for any evidence
of tampering. "Signs include pinholes or rips in the
packaging of the candy," Rodriguez says. "Be sure to notify
police of any treats that appear to have been manipulated.
Any unpackaged candy or fruit should be discarded, since you
cannot know if it has been tampered with." Parents of small
children should watch out for choking hazards -- small, hard
candies or peanuts.
When the food passes inspection, ration their consumption to small amounts (a few treats as opposed to a dozen) each day. Eating too much candy can cause nausea and headaches, as well as lead to tooth decay.
Making your home
Halloween-safe
You can also take steps to make your own home safe for
children trick-or-treating at your doorstep. Sweep your
sidewalks (especially if you have wet leaves on them) and
remove any obstructions, such as garden hoses, from
driveways or yards. Turn on bright outside lights,
especially near your front door. Light your pumpkins with
votive candles and keep them at a distance from the
children, whose costumes might inadvertently catch fire.
With these precautions in place, let your children enjoy the
season.
"Health Matters" is written in cooperation with staff members of Boston Medical Center. For more information on Halloween safety or other health issues, call 638-6767.