Keep your kids out of the ER this Halloween with these 4 tips
Each Halloween, emergency rooms brace for a surge in preventable injuries, especially among kids. Between 2019 and 2021, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimated around 9,600 Halloween-related injuries were treated in ERs, with nearly half involving children under 18.
At Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, emergency medicine physician Dr. Sofia Chaudhary says the ER sees an uptick in certain cases around the spooky holiday, such as pedestrian injuries “just because of the act of children walking around and going from house to house.”
“We also do see injuries related to food items, sometimes upset stomachs from getting really excited with all of the Halloween candy,” she added.
Chaudhary, who is also an emergency medicine assistant professor at Emory University, shared four tips for how parents and guardians can best keep their children safe this Halloween season.
1. Wear bright colors or reflective tape
Pedestrian injuries are a major concern. From 1975 to 2016, according to a 2019 study of over 1.5 million fatal traffic crashes, the risk of a pedestrian fatality was on average 43% higher on Halloween compared to other evenings. For children 4 to 8 years old, the odds increased 10-fold.
Children’s ER often treats more children struck by vehicles on Halloween, according to Chaudhary.
“I also think that, because more and more people are doing trick-or-treating when it’s a little bit later in the day and visibility being so poor, that we’re seeing more of these injuries,” she said.
There are simple ways to increase visibility after dark. Chaudhary recommends choosing bright, reflective costumes or adding reflective tape to costumes, and kids should carry flashlights or glow sticks.
She also urges parents to remind their trick-or-treaters to stay safe by using sidewalks and crosswalks, looking both ways before crossing streets and sticking to well-lit areas. Teens, in particular, should avoid texting or scrolling on their phones while crossing streets.
2. Leave pumpkin carving to the adults
While pedestrian injuries can more often prove fatal, pumpkin carving accidents account for the most Halloween injuries. According to the CPSC, 55% of Halloween injuries can be attributed to pumpkin carving mishaps.
“I definitely think, for younger kids, the parent should be in charge of the carving,” Chaudhary said. “And they can get their child to participate by coloring the pumpkin, picking out what design they want carved or maybe doing the tracing of what they want cut out.”
She also noted that parents should only carve pumpkins in well-lit areas on stable surfaces. Placing lit candles inside of carved pumpkins is a common tradition but to avoid potential burn injuries, use electronic lights instead.
“(Your child) may not necessarily do the carving, but they get the really fun job of putting that little tea light in there so that it lights up,” she said.
3. Don’t get tripped up by cumbersome costumes
Tripping hazards cause a significant number of injuries around Halloween. The CPSC estimated roughly 25% of injuries on the holiday from 2019-2021 were because of “falls while putting up or taking down decorations, tripping on costumes or walking while trick-or-treating.”
Chaudhary added that tripping hazards, like loose fitting or too-long costumes, can increase a child’s risk of pedestrian injury.
“My girls love princess gowns, and so I usually do a size down for them so that they’re wearing something that’s naturally smaller for the costumes,” she said.
Households offering candy to trick-or-treaters can help out as well. Make sure the paths are clear, well-lit and free of any trip hazards, like cords for powering decorations, she added.
4. Check your child’s candy stash
Chaudhary has treated her fair share of upset tummies too. While eating Halloween candy is part of the fun, moderation can save kids an uncomfortable trip to the hospital.
Let them pick a few of their favorite treats on Halloween night, and save the rest for the next few weeks. Make sure they have a healthy meal before they head out to trick-or-treat as well, and plan to inspect their candy once they’re home.
“There are real risks with certain types of candy, especially by age,” she said. “For the younger children, we do worry about choking hazards with Halloween candy, especially if they’re hard candies.”
Popcorn, jelly beans, sticky candies and candies with nuts can all be choking hazards for younger children. It’s also important to note what allergens are in your child’s candy, even if they don’t have any known allergies yet.
“Sometimes they don’t have a known allergy, but they may get exposed to it on Halloween and then we see them in the ER,” she added.
Chaudhary also advises parents to dispose any unwrapped candies and watch for cannabis edibles, which can look like regular candy. While the hospital isn’t seeing cases of THC-laced Halloween bags, she notes they treat cannabis ingestion cases year-round.
About the Author
Hunter Boyce is a writer, digital producer and journalist home grown from a Burke County farm. Throughout his career, Hunter has gone on to write sports, entertainment, political and local breaking news for a variety of outlets.
