Want your children to have a ghoulish good time this Halloween? Experts at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston offer some tips to help you keep your child’s Halloween fun healthy and safe.

“Nutrition and Halloween aren’t two words that you don’t normally associate with one another, but there are ways to promote healthy eating habits during Halloween,” said Dr. Marilyn Swanson, national program leader for maternal and child health, stationed at the Children’s Nutrition Research Center.

Swanson suggests that parents hand out pretzels, granola bars, raisins, sugar-free gum, or non-food treats such as stickers, plastic rings or pencils instead of the sugary treats. If you decide to hand out candy bars, get the smaller fun-sized ones. Some candy bars have less fat and calories than others - read the labels before you buy.

“It’s very important for parents to check all of the contents of their child’s bag, and to make sure that all homemade or questionable treats are thrown away,” Swanson said. “Instead of allowing your child to eat the candy whenever they want, store it out of sight and give them a piece or two in their lunch or after school.”

Feeding your children a good meal prior to trick-or-treating will discourage them from being tempted to fill up on Halloween treats.
There are also a number of risks that children can run into during Halloween as well.

“There’s nothing more fun than being a witch, but when children wear dark costumes it makes it difficult for drivers to see them,” said Dr. Joan Shook, professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, chief of emergency medicine service and chief safety officer at Texas Children’s Hospital. “Reflective tape can be attached to dark colored costumes to make the child more visible, or they can carry a flashlight.”

Shook suggests that parents take their little ghosts and goblins trick-or-treating in familiar neighborhoods and places that you feel comfortable.

“A parent should accompany every group of children, even up to the door,” Shook said. “Stay in well lit areas, so if the lights on a house are off, don’t go there.”

Shook also offers these suggestions:

· Don’t approach houses that aren’t well lit and under no circumstances should a child enter a stranger’s residence.

· Parents should examine all the candy. Anything that looks like it may have been tampered with should be thrown away.

· Because a mask can hamper a child’s ability to breath and see, use non-toxic face paint as a safe alternative.

· Make sure that your child’s costume fits properly. Avoid items that may cause them to trip such as long dresses, oversized shoes or capes.

“Halloween is supposed to be fun, but we also want to make sure that our children stay safe,” Shook said.

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