Doctors at the Comprehensive Children’s Injury Centre at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre and experts in the Drug and Poison Information Centre offer these tips to make this year's holiday a safe one.

Costumes

•Avoid potential burn injuries: Look for flame-resistant materials for costumes and be particularly aware of open flamesin Jack O’ Lanterns
•Choose costumes that do not have sharp objects attached to masks or itself.
•Beware of costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big baggy sleeves or billowing skirts.
•Make sure masks allow for full vision.
•If your child wears a hat or scarf, make sure it fits securely and provides adequate ventilation.
•Apply non-toxic face paint or cosmetics as an alternative to masks.
•Make sure children wear properly fitting shoes.
•Plan costumes of highly visible colours.
•Adhere reflective tape or stickers to costumes or treat bags or have the child wear a reflective bracelet.
•Attach each child’s name, address and phone number to their clothes in case they become separated from adults.

Trick-or-treating

The most important thing to remember is to make children visible to automobile drivers. A child is four times more likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween than any other time.

•Give kids flashlights to carry.
•Accompany children under age 10.
•Allow children to travel only in familiar areas.
•Remind children to follow rules of crossing streets – look both ways and cross only atintersections and crosswalks.
•For people who are giving out treats, healthy food alternatives for trick-or-treaters include packages of low-fatcrackers with cheese, single-serve boxes of cereal, packaged fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisins and single-serve packetsof low-fat popcorn.
•Non-food treats may include plastic rings, pencils, stickers, erasers and coins.
•Do not allow children to eat any treats until they’ve been sorted and checked by an adult at home.
•Throw candy away if it appears to have been unwrapped and re-wrapped, or appears suspicious in any way.
•Do not allow young children to have any items that are small enough to present a choking hazard or that have small parts or components that could separate during use.

Children's Fears

Halloween can sometimes be a frightening holiday for children. To help ease the fright of "monsters" and unfamiliar sights, child psychologists at Cincinnati Children's say parents should help their children interpret Halloween as a make-believe situation. Show children that someone is just wearing a mask by asking that person to remove it. Parents should also have small children try on their costumes before Halloween. This exercise will give them time to get used to how they look.