Are Your Kids’ Halloween Costume Safe?
If you have little ones and they're planning to dress up for Halloween, you don't want them to get away with anything that could potentially be unsafe. From masks to eye makeup, there are a lot of common things children put on that seem harmless at the time but can cause injury later on.
If your kids are going the costume route this year, make sure their costumes are safe by checking out these safety suggestions from the American Academy of Pediatrics. It's better than being sorry later!
It is no secret that children in America love Halloween. This high-energy, fun celebration is a fun-filled night for young kids, but it’s important to make sure safety is taken into consideration as well.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), has a list of safety tips to help parents make sure their kids avoid injury this Halloween. The AAP recommends adopting these tips if you plan to dress up your children or allow them to trick-or-treat:
It’s also important that parents check costumes and accessories for loose strings, long hair and tiny wire pieces that can all pose potential dangers. It's also helpful to check that face masks don't block peripheral vision or hinder breathing.
As parents, it’s also important to check that your kids have chosen costumes and accessories that are safe; in other words, that are not choking hazards. The AAP advises checking to make sure all parts of the costume don’t fit together in a way that could trap a child's face if he or she was unable to remove the piece.
Sources: http://www.healthcaremagic.com/new-halloween-costumes-are-they-safe/.
Halloween 2014 is a part of the annual Halloween season. According to the National Council on Sleep Disorders (NCSD) about two million people suffers from some sleep disturbances in America, related to Halloween.
A lot of factors influence the prevalence and severity of sleep disturbances during this season, such as: family dynamics, timing of events leading up to Halloween, activities occurring during the day prior to Halloween and stress levels.
The NCSD conducted a study and found that children suffered from excessive sleepiness or impaired ability to fall asleep during Halloween because they:
– ate too much sugar (sugary foods) while trick or treating.
– watched too much TV (13 hours on average) as a result of heavy computer and video game usage.
As the NCSD reports, the report also found that children watch an average of 17 hours of television and 5 hours of videos each weekday, which are more than double the federal guidelines for children watching TV or videos in a school day.
To prevent this from happening, parents should pay close attention to their children's daily activities leading up to Halloween:
– Limit screen time while giving out candy and when they are at school.
– Make sure they aren't overstimulated and exhausted from too much sugar, sugar-filled treats or excessive gaming or watching movies.
– Make sure they are getting enough sleep.
Sources: http://healthland.time.com/2011/11/03/the-misunderstood-effects-of-hallows-eve/.
http://www.ncdslep.org/sleepwell/s10sleep_halloween_phase2_november2013.pdf
http://www.ncdslep.org/images/docs/SleepWell_Advocacy_1B_Oct2014COPY(FINAL).pdf
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Corby, N., Davidson, F., McClure, C., Glynn, K., Highley, C., & O’Donnell, D.(2008). Risk of harm associated with Hallowe'en costumes. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 93 (9), 804-805.
Reynolds, S., Woods, G., Phillips, R., & Reniers, A.(2005). Costume choice and behavior among secondary school children: Trends from 1994 to 2002. Journal of Adolescence 28 (1), 33-45.
Nakashima, N., & Chang, L.(2008). Halloween festivities and pediatric emergency department visits for chest pains: A population-based study in Los Angeles County, California. Annals of Emergency Medicine 52(4) 443-450
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/apao/press_release/20081022-1
AAP News: Pediatricians Advise Parents to Take Halloween Safety Seriously
AAP News: October 23, 2012| By AAP News Staff
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;125/4/860
http://www.ncdslep.org
https://www.healthychildren.org
http://www.azfamily.com/news/Halloween-safety-tips-241731041.html
https://www.webmd.com/content/article/175617?
https://www.yuminochi.com
http://healthland.time.com/2011/11/03/the-misunderstood-effects-of-hallows-eve/.
http://www.ncdslep.org/images/docs/SleepWell_Advocacy_1B_Oct2014COPY(FINAL).pdf
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov
http://www2crisiscallingmaine.wordpress.
Conclusion
AAP News: October 23, 2012 | By AAP News Staff
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;125/4/860
https://www.healthychildren.org
http://www.azfamily.com/news/Halloween-safety-tips-241731041.html
http://www2crisiscallingmaine.wordpress.com
Conclusion
AAP News: October 23, 2012 | By AAP News Staff http://aappolicy.aappublications.