Health consultant shares Halloween safety tips for trick-or-treaters

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A UnitedHealthcare health and engagement consultant is sharing tips to help families avoid unexpected trips to the doctor on Saturday night.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported about 3,000 Halloween-related emergency department visits each year.

Costume and pumpkin tips

Courtney Schauder, the UnitedHealthcare consultant, said parents can light up a child’s costume with glow sticks or reflective tape attached to the costume. The lights and tape make children more visible in the dark.

She said people carving pumpkins should use the hand-over-hand technique.

Treats and food allergies

Schauder also recommended a quick inspection of the treats a child collects.

“Those smaller candies can have, at times, some different ingredients that may pose a risk, so you always want to give it a double check,” Schauder said. “And for food allergy trick-or-treaters, they can be on the lookout for houses that have a teal pumpkin outside.”

Schauder said teal pumpkins are a national initiative so children with food allergies can have options of a trick instead of a treat.