(KNSI) – Halloween time is a busy one in the emergency room, with most visits being preventable if the right steps are taken.
CentraCare pediatrician Jessica Najarian-Bell says the primary issues come from costumes. The first thing to check before the trick-or-treating starts is the size. “If you buy one, it may not fit perfectly. They can be baggy, they can drag on the ground. And then children trip. And then we get injuries, face injuries all the way to broken bones.”
An easy solution is to pin up loose material, or even cut it down to the appropriate height, especially if there is no intention of reusing the costume in a later year. Najarian-Bell also recommends putting reflective tape on darker costumes or winter jackets so drivers in the neighborhood can see kids more easily.
Masks are another potential sticking point. Parents should test how well kids can see before going out into the neighborhood. She says to try it out in an environment they know well. “[Try] making sure that your child can see through the mask, and even kind of checking that in your house, having them walk around with it on, because if they can’t see then they’re going to run into things. They’re going to trip and fall and it’s already a bit chaotic and dark at times.”
Najarian-Bell believes shoes are one of the trickier parts of a girl’s costume. It might be the first time they try heels, which can also be difficult to navigate dark sidewalks in. She suggests bringing a backup pair out with them so they can slip into flats as their feet tire out.
As the jack-o’-lanterns glow on porches across central Minnesota this Halloween season, much care is taken to ensure they present no fire hazard. With LED lights, it is easy to reduce the risk. Many parents will overlook the fire danger of their child’s costume, though, and Najarian-Bell is hoping to bring the danger out of the shadows.
She warns, “Especially when you think about those princess costumes, a lot of them come with wigs. So, a lot of those wigs can actually be a fire hazard, either checking the label for that, or just really being mindful of that.”
Najarian-Bell says if the costume was made in China or other similar cheap alternatives, parents should just assume that they are flammable and to take precautions.
Before caking on makeup to turn children into goblins and ghouls, parents should see whether it could lead to a rash or other adverse reaction. Skin on the face is among the most sensitive on the human body. Najarian-Bell advises parents to first apply the makeup elsewhere on their kids. “Doing a small test on their skin, on their arm, on their hand, just to kind of see if they react. And if their hand is okay, their arm’s okay with that makeup, then putting it on the face.”
Another option is to try and recreate the effect with makeup that is worn year-round. Create color through traditional lip stick or foundation, rather than the more caustic Halloween options. Najarian-Bell stresses that any makeup used needs to be washed off at the end of the night before bed.
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