Trick-or-treating safety reminders

Halloween. So many of you are planning to get out and enjoy the festivities today. Many of you have already gotten outside. So let's go ahead and bring in Dr. Stephanie Reese with United Healthcare of Georgia to talk about ways that you can be safe today. Dr. Reese, thanks so much for joining us. Good morning. Thank you for having me. So first, let's talk about the kids here. So when it comes to choosing costumes carefully, what do parents need to pay attention to if they haven't gotten their costumes? I know some people are last minute and they will be going to the store today to buy costumes. So what do parents need to know there? So one of the big things you want to take into consideration is the fit. One of the biggest hazards you can have during Halloween is when you're running and excited, you can trip over a poorly fit costume. So make sure the costume fits well. Make sure that the child has good visibility. So make sure that they have, if they have a mask, they can see out of the mask. Alternatively, instead of placing a mask on a child, you can use face paint. But prior to facing the face paint, you might want to do a little skin test to make sure they don't have a reaction to the paint. Other things are making sure they wear comfortable shoes and making sure that the children are visible on the street if they're going out after dark. So you can do this by wearing a reflective costume, putting on glow sticks, which all children like, you know, give them a little glow stick to carry around with them. A flashlight, a reflective tape. So those are some things you can do. Dr. Reese, thanks so much for sharing. Now, food allergies are a major concern, and is my candy safe? What should parents know when it comes to food allergies and knowing if that candy is safe when kids are going trick-or-treating? So, first, for children who have allergies, it would be a wise idea for the parents to carry any emergency medicine with them that they normally have in case of allergies, in case of an... Accidental exposure to something that they're allergic to. So if it's an EpiPen, something like that. The second thing is to always read the ingredients. Don't let the children eat the candy without the parents checking it first because you want to read the ingredients. Also, even though it's a candy that the child may normally eat on a regular basis, if it's a special seasonal version or a miniature, sometimes they have additional ingredients that the child might be allergic to. So it's always a good idea to read up on those. In terms of allergies, if you're not sure you don't have ingredients, there's something called Project Teal Pumpkin. So look for houses with teal pumpkins. It's a national initiative for children with allergies to keep them safe during Halloween. Instead of giving candy, they'll give small treats that they can have and play with, maybe small toys that are an alternative to candies that they might be allergic to. And before kids head out to go trick-or-treating, what should parents know when it comes to being safe on the roads? Yes, it's dark. You're excited. So make sure that you're accompanying your small children on the roads. So don't leave small children unaccompanied. Establish clear routes that you're going to take during the evening. And for your older children, have clear check-in times. Make sure they use crosswalks. Like I said, make sure they're very visible. And when they're using those crosswalks, avoid running in between parked cars where they might not be able to be seen by vehicles. So that, and, you know, again, another thing for costumes, almost forgot, sharp props. So choose soft, flexible props, because if they're running across the street, which we don't want them to do, so walk, but if they're crossing and they trip, you might actually fall on a sharp prop. So consider that as well. Pumpkin carving and some of the steps that we should take to be safe while doing something as fun as pumpkin carving. So pumpkin carving can be fun, but can also be hazardous. It's one of the leading causes of some of the accidents we have during the holiday. So for small children. If you can't practice something called hand over hand, where you put your hand, the parent or another adult can put their hand over the utensil when they're helping them to carve. Another alternative is to actually just give them paint or other decorations to put on the pumpkin as opposed to carving. For small children, look for the safe child safe carving utensils. Again, always utilize those under adult supervision because if it can cut a pumpkin, it might still cut a child. And talk about some of the Halloween-related injuries you see across the board when it comes to children and adults. So children and adults, of course, allergic reactions, number one. Number two are falls. So be very careful about running across, running over obstacles that might be in walkways. Another one is hypothermia. So children, very small children and young children can get colder than adults. And so sometimes you might feel comfortable, but not realize that a child in a costume might get cold more easily. So consider bundling up, maybe wearing thermals or taking breaks indoors, like taking the child with a car nearby so they can go indoors in the car to warm up. And Dr. Reese, you know, talk about UnitedHealthcare of Georgia. Where can people find resources if they need them this Halloween, if they need support? UnitedHealthcare.com. You can always go there, look us up. And if you are a member of UnitedHealthcare.com too, on the back of your card, you can call for any advice that you might need. Any final thoughts or tips for people, adults or kids, as they head out to celebrate Halloween today? Because I know many people are going to be outside. Yeah. So before the children go out today, make sure you give them a nice full meal so that they're not hungry and starving when all that energy is going. They might be tempted to snack a lot on the candy, but if they're full already, they're less likely to overindulge. Make sure that after they have their candy, that they practice good oral hygiene and they drink plenty of water and brush your teeth afterwards and before they go to bed. Stay visible, you know, make sure that you're able to be seen so that you don't inadvertently become the victim of a pedestrian accident, somebody hitting you. Keep safety, pedestrian safety. So keep your walkways clear of cords and obstacles that children might trip over when they're walking down or other adults too, when they're walking down to your, your walkways to get to your home and just have a safe and fun time. All right, Dr. Reese, have a safe and fun time. Thanks for joining us to talk about these tips. We hope you have a great rest of your day. Thank you. Happy Halloween. Happy Halloween.