Campus Life

The Medical Minute: Keep Halloween scary, but safe

As Halloween creeps up, kids will dream of spooky costumes, jack-o-lanterns and haunted houses. Halloween is one of the most thrilling nights of the year for children. Unfortunately it's also one of the most dangerous. As kids hit the street to trick-or-treat, the potential for unintentional injury rises. In fact, children are four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other night of the year. Halloween can indeed be scary, with increases in pedestrian injuries, burns and falls among children. "Children may be distracted by the excitement of the night and the fun of trick-or-treating, and may not take safety to the street. Careless street crossing coupled with drivers' more limited vision at night can make for a deadly mix." said Susan Rzucidlo, M.S.N., R.N., Pediatric Trauma Coordinator for Penn State Children's Hospital. "Many of the risks kids face on Halloween can be avoided if parents discuss important safety precautions with their kids."

Last Updated March 19, 2009

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