Halloween safety is not just child's play

Halloween is fun for kids, but, unfortunately, and from my experience, it can also be a day that children end up visiting the emergency room.

As the head of the Emergency Department at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, I have seen the results of too many accidents that happen on this day that is supposed to be devoted to fun and play.

I will never forget the day I had to rush my own daughter to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles with blood running from her finger due to a pumpkin carving accident. My daughter and I were carving pumpkins in our backyard and I was the one in charge of the carving knife. I went to the front of the house for just a minute and I told my daughter not to touch the knife. But, in the minute that my 9year-old was unsupervised, she grabbed the knife and in the process cut her pinkie finger almost completely off. She ended up needing a five-hour surgery on that finger followed by three months of hand rehabilitation.

Adult supervision during Halloween activities is an absolute necessity because children become very excited during this time and are not always aware of their surroundings and potential hazards.

Pumpkin carving

Halloween is a great time to visit the local pumpkin patch to pick your own pumpkin to carve. But, children under 12years-old should not carve a pumpkin by themselves. Children can draw the face on the pumpkin with a marker, but parents should do the carving. And, always use cutters with safety blades, no matter how old you are. If you're going to light your pumpkin, make sure you place it on a sturdy surface, away from curtains or other objects that could catch fire. Street safety

Children love to go trickortreating, but kids under 13yearsold should not trickortreat without a parent's supervision. Older kids should always trick-or-treat in a group of three or more, and they should have at least one cell phone with them. Parents should always choose a safe, well-lit and familiar residential neighborhood. Children should also be reminded to never go inside anyone's house or car when they're trickortreating. As you walk from house to house, always stay on the sidewalk and only cross the street at a designated crosswalk.

Mis-treats

As children collect their treats, they should be reminded not to eat anything until they are back home and an adult has checked it all. When checking the candy, parents should make sure there are no small pinholes in the wrappers or torn or loose packages. No one should eat treats that are not completely sealed, like raisin boxes, apples or homemade cookies or candy.

Costumes As you select your children's costumes, make sure they are fire-resistant and not so long that kids could trip while walking. Parents should also apply reflective tape on costumes, or make sure kids have reflective shoes, hat or bag so they are more visible to cars. Masks can often interfere with vision, so a better choice is nontoxic makeup. Kids should also be encouraged to carry a flashlight so they don't trip on uneven sidewalks or porch steps.

Porch Safety

As Halloween approaches, make sure that your walkway and porch is clear of all potential hazards for the children who will be coming by.

Kids love to run up to houses when trick-or-treating, so make sure there are no flower pots, tree limbs, wires or garden hoses that someone could trip over and always turn your porch light on.

Neighborly respect

I know how much fun kids can have on Halloween, especially if they are with a group of their friends. As parents, we need to remind our children to respect their neighbors' property, always.

For example, when they go trick-or-treating, they shouldn't run across neighbors' front lawn. They should also take extra care not to damage any decorations or pumpkins.

You also should remind your children to be respectful to neighbors who are not offering treats.

Dr. Nager is head of the Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. He is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at USC's Keck School of Medicine.