Halloween Safety Tips from Riley Hospital for Children

10/21/2008

INDIANAPOLIS - As children, we anticipate Halloween - the night of candy, costumes and trick or treating - with great excitement. These are all part of the magic that makes this a fun holiday for children, but Riley Hospital wants to ensure Halloween is both fun AND safe.

"Parents and children can follow some very simple rules that will help keep them safe," said Tres Scherer, MD, director of Trauma Services, Riley Hospital for Children. "Simple things such as selecting a costume, beard or wig that is made of materials that do not burn; wearing makeup instead of a mask, because masks often impair vision and hearing; and always making sure a child is with an adult while trick or treating."

Riley Hospital for Children also offers these additional safety tips:

• Do not wear a long or baggy costume that might cause you to trip or fall.
• Costumes should not tie around the neck.
• Costumes should be easily seen; look for bright colors or add reflective tape/material.
• Do not enter houses of people you do not know.
• Trick or treat in the early evening hours and only approach houses that have the porch light on. Do not cut across lawns to get to other houses.
• Pin a slip of paper with your child's name, address and phone number inside a pocket in case they get separated from the group.
• Neighborhoods should consider holding Halloween parties or get-togethers for children and teens to help keep them in a safer environment.

"Children should also eat dinner or a snack before going trick or treating so they won't get tempted to eat sweets while collecting them," said Bob Collins, M.D., medical director of Emergency Services. "It is important for parents to inspect all candy to make sure each piece is an individually wrapped, store-bought treat before allowing their children to sample any. Candy in which the wrapper is already opened or ripped should be immediately thrown away."

About Riley Hospital for Children As Indiana's first and only comprehensive hospital dedicated exclusively to the care of children, Riley Hospital for Children, a part of Clarian Health, has provided compassionate care, support and comfort to children and their families for 80 years. Each year Riley serves over 160,000 inpatients and outpatients from across Indiana, the nation and the world. Riley Hospital's partnership with Clarian Health and its strong affiliation with the Indiana University School of Medicine make it the only comprehensive clinical resource for Indiana's children and the premiere source for health related information for their parents. From simple care associated with the health and wellness of children and less complex specialty care to the most critically-ill and medically complex cases, Riley Hospital for Children is the leader for pediatric care in the state and the region. In 2004, Clarian became Indiana's first magnet hospital system. Clarian Health Partners, Inc. operates the Methodist Hospital, Indiana University Hospital and Riley Hospital campuses as a single hospital under Indiana law.