Halloween es una festividad llena de diversión para los niños y los padres por igual, desde los dulces hasta los disfraces. Pero también es una festividad que puede ser peligrosa para los pequeños golosos. Para que este año salir a pedir dulces no traiga ningún truco, siga estos sencillos consejos de seguridad:

El disfraz de los fantasmitas

• Elija un disfraz de colores claros o agregue cinta fosforescente en el frente y en la espalda del disfraz para que se pueda ver fácilmente a sus hijos.
• No compre disfraces que no tengan la etiqueta "retardante a las llamas". Esto significa que el material del que está hecho no se quemará.
• Make sure wigs and beards don't cover your kids' eyes, noses, or mouths.
• Don't let your children wear masks — they can make it difficult for kids to see and breathe. Instead, use nontoxic face paint or makeup. Have younger children draw pictures of what they want to look like. Older children will have fun putting the makeup on themselves.
• Put a name tag — with your phone number — on your children's costumes.
• Avoid oversized and high-heeled shoes that could cause your kids to trip.
• Evite utilizar faldas o pantalones largos y bolsudos, o camisas con mangas muy largas, ya que podrían engancharse en algún lado y hacer caer a los niños.
• Make sure that any props your kids carry, such as wands or swords, are flexible.

Precauciones a la hora de tallar las calabazas

• Limpie los desechos. La pulpa de la calabaza es resbalosa y puede provocar caídas y lastimaduras si queda desparramada sobre el piso. Cubra el área de trabajo con hojas de periódico o con una tela vieja, limpie inmediatamente los desechos para que nadie se resbale o tropiece.
• Don't let kids handle knives. Have them draw their designs on the face of the pumpkin with a black marker — then you do the carving. And make sure you're using a sharp knife or a mini-saw that's pointed away from your body.
• Mantenga a los niños a una distancia segura mientras usted talla la calabaza, así evitará que lo distraigan o que se interpongan en el camino de objetos afilados.
• Remove pumpkin guts safely. If your children beg to remove the guts of the pumpkin — as many kids do — don't hand over a knife to do it. Instead, let your little ones get messy by scooping out pumpkin flesh with their hands or an ice cream scoop.
• Omita las velas. Una vela encendida dentro de una calabaza puede provocar un incendio voraz si no se la vigila. Puede reemplazarla utilizando una varilla luminosa (vienen en varios colores) para iluminar su calabaza.

Dulces o travesuras sin peligro

• Accompany young children (under age 10) on their rounds. But, make sure they know their home phone number, the cell phone numbers of parents and any other trusted adult who's supervising, and how to call 9-1-1 in case they get lost.
• For older kids who are trick-or-treating on their own, make sure you approve of the route they'll be taking and know when they'll be coming home. Also be sure that they: 
  • carry a cell phone
  • go in a group and stay together
  • only go to houses with porch lights on and walk on sidewalks on lit streets (never walk through alleys or across lawns)
  • know to never go into strangers' homes or cars
  • cross the street at crosswalks and never assume that vehicles will stop (unless kids are wearing bright costumes or have reflective tape on them, motorists may not see them in the dark)
• Deles linternas con baterías nuevas.
• Limite el paseo de "dulces o travesuras" a su vecindario y a las casas de las personas que usted y sus hijos conocen.
• When your kids get home, check all treats to make sure they're safely sealed and there are no signs of tampering, such as small pinholes, loose or torn packages, and packages that appear to have been taped or glued back together. Throw out loose candy, spoiled items, and any homemade treats that haven't been made by someone you know.
• No permita que sus hijos pequeños coman caramelos duros o goma de mascar, ya que podrían atragantarse.
• Make sure trick-or-treaters will be safe when visiting your home, too. Remove lawn decorations, sprinklers, toys, bicycles, wet leaves, or anything that might obstruct your walkway. Provide a well-lit outside entrance to your home. Keep family pets away from trick-or-treaters, even if they seem harmless to you.

Los duendes engullen las golosinas de Halloween

• Prepare una comida abundante para sus hijos antes de que salgan a pedir golosinas, de esta manera no comerán tantos caramelos y golosinas.
• Evalúe la posibilidad de comprar otros regalos para Halloween en lugar de caramelos. Las pegatinas, gomas de borrar, crayones, lápices, libros para colorear, paquetes de pasas y frutas secas son opciones válidas.
• Evite dar o que sus niños acepten:
  • hard candy, especially suckers and jawbreakers — they dissolve slowly, coat teeth with sugar, and can chip teeth and cause choking
  • sticky candy — caramels, taffy, and gummy candies can be harmful to braces, retainers, and fillings, and can get trapped between dental work. Plain chocolate pieces aren't as hazardous to dental work and are easier to brush away. 
  • regular bubble gum — it circulates cavity-causing sugars throughout the mouth and teeth and can also be harmful to dental work. Instead, offer sugar-free gum to help reduce tooth decay and cavities.
• Once your trick-or-treaters have returned with their Halloween goodies, spread out their bounty of candy by letting them have a treat or two a day, instead of making Halloween morsels accessible by keeping them out in big bags or bowls for kids to sample throughout the day.

Tome estas sencillas y rápidas precauciones para que sus pequeños fantasmitas y duendes disfruten un Halloween feliz, seguro e inolvidable.

Revisado por: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: September 2005