NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Witches with broken teeth, little devils with sprained ankles -- just a couple of frights your local emergency room (ER) sees every Halloween when parents don't help kids make the holiday harmless.
"The usual type of incidents in the ER on Halloween involves a bruise, a bump, a sprain," says Mary Marylin, RN. "Often because a child was wearing a costume that impedes their vision. It's dark, so what happens is kids simply walk into something or step into a hole."
Other pediatric safety experts agree. "The most important thing is that the child be visible and the child has a source of light," said Dr. Joel Bass, pediatrician and outgoing chairman on injury and poison prevention at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). "And, of course, with very young children, a parent must go along to supervise," he said.
To keep this Halloween happy and safe, the AAP recommends parents make sure kids:
-- wear non-allergenic costume makeup, and avoid vision-obstructing masks. Choose flame-retardant material for costumes, and remember that oversized costumes can cause falls.
-- carry flashlights when trick or treating at night, and put reflective tape on costumes.
-- keep the pumpkin-carving knife away from small children. Have kids draw the areas to be cut, but let mom or dad do the actual carving. Small votive candles are safest to light pumpkins.
-- tell kids to wait till they get home before snacking on treats. Parents should look treats over carefully, looking for pinholes in wrappers or loose packaging. Young children can easily choke on gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.
-- avoid accidents when receiving trick or treaters by removing lawn articles like garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations. Make sure outdoor lights are in working order, and sweep wet leaves from steps and sidewalk.
Both Marylin and Bass say that while it's important parents remain vigilant and examine treats before kids eat them, malicious poisoning or injury via adulterated treats happens very rarely. "In my own experience, speaking as a general pediatrician, I've never experienced a case of a malicious act at Halloween,"said Bass. Marylin agrees, saying, "I think those fears are exaggerated -- but that's not to say it can't happen. So inspecting candy remains very important."
