St. Christopher's Hospital for Children Offers Halloween Safety Tips

For children, Halloween conjures up images of freshly carved pumpkins, hay rides, bags full of candy and dressing up as their favorite superheroes or cartoon characters. But parents may have some anxieties, wondering how to keep children safe while celebrating at home, at parties or while trick or treating.

“On Halloween parents should use the same common sense and judgment they use to make decisions for their children during the rest of the year,” says Dr. Christopher Haines, director of the Emergency Department at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. “For example, if you do not let your children cut with sharp objects at any other time, pumpkin carving is not the time to start. It’s too dangerous and can lead to serious injuries.”

Instead of abandoning this fun festive activity, Dr. Haines says parents may want to ask children to draw a pattern on a pumpkin for adults to carve. Children may also enjoy cleaning out the pumpkin and saving the seeds to bake for a snack.

In addition, Dr. Haines offers these tips for a safe Halloween:

• Make sure your children understand the rules of Halloween safety. Develop a game plan and agree on the rules ahead of time. If older children are going out without an adult, make sure they understand the difference between vandalism and tricks.

• When shopping for costumes, check to make certain the material is flame retardant and that your child’s vision won’t be obscured by any part of the costume. Make sure the costume isn’t too long to prevent tripping. If your child is wearing a hat, check to see that it won’t slip down over the eyes.

• If your child is carrying props like a sword, knife or scythe, check to see that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury.

• You may want to find an alternative to door-to-door trick or treating such as going to a mall or community event. You also may want to host a special Halloween party for your children and their friends.

• It’s not safe today to let children go trick or treating alone. Have a responsible adult or older teen go with smaller children. Older children and teens should go in groups.

• Make your home safe for young visitors. There are special lights that mimic a candle for jack o’lanterns. If you do use a candle, keep the pumpkin on a sturdy surface away from where children are likely to stand. Don’t leave a burning candle unattended.

• Teach your children that Halloween is about fun. Throwing eggs at a house or car or toilet-papering trees are considered acts of vandalism.

If children are going out trick or treating, make sure you remind them to follow pedestrian safety rules, says Dr. Haines. He suggests telling kids:

• Only visit the houses of people you know and where an outside light is on. If the light is off, they are probably away from home or not giving out candy.

• Don’t go inside a house to accept candy.

• Don’t stand too close to a lighted candle – especially in a jack o’lantern. Your costume might catch fire.

• Whether walking, using your super powers or flying a broom, watch out for traffic. Stay on the sidewalks. Cross only at intersections. Don’t cross or hide between parked cars. Look both ways before crossing the street.

• Don’t cut across alleys or yards.

• Have one of your parents or a responsible adult check your candy before eating it. Throw any open packages or homemade treats away. If you have younger brothers, sisters, cousins or friends, don’t give them small or hard candies that can choke them.

Since 1875, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children has been providing exceptional patient care and advancing new pediatric treatments through research and innovation. Through affiliations with Drexel University College of Medicine and Temple University School of Medicine, St. Christopher’s is a teaching hospital helping to train the next generation of professionals in pediatric medicine.

The 189-bed hospital is committed to delivering high quality family- and patient-centered care to children from throughout the Philadelphia area and around the world. Its highly acclaimed programs include its Cystic Fibrosis Center, Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), as well as its Burn Center, which is the only dedicated pediatric burn center in the area. In 2009 St. Christopher’s achieved Magnet status, which is one of the nation's highest forms of recognition for nursing excellence.

St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children is part of the Tenet Health System. To learn more about St. Christopher’s, visit www.stchristophershospital.com.

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