Copyright KRDO
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Children will be taking to the streets Friday afternoon for trick or treating, but the spookiest holiday of the year isn't without its health risks. KRDO13's medical expert, Dr. Neha Sharma, joined us in the studio to take a closer look at how to stay health-conscious and safe on Halloween while still having fun. Obviously, parents are concerned about their kids eating too much sugar. We all know that candy is not good for you. But are there any kinds of candy that are better or worse for you? "Actually not all candy is created equal, so there is some better options, and those better options are chocolate based treats, um, usually the dark chocolate because it contains antioxidant in those mini size bars because chocolate melts away in your mouth and can rinse faster, so it's less likely to cause cavities can still cause it, but it's less likely. The worst offenders are your sticky candies like caramel and gummy because they cling to your teeth, the sour ones because they're acidic and they can erode the enamel, and the hard candy because they can chip teeth and are also a choking hazard." For really young kids, are there any candies that should be avoided outright? "Yes. Candy that is a choking hazard cannot be given to kids under four. You should avoid that, and that's hard candies, gumballs, nuts, and even jelly beans and gummy worms. Be careful with that. And for the parents out there with kids with food allergies, like we talked about last week, be careful. Make sure you're checking those labels, avoid homemade treats, have an allergy plan, those medications, and epinephrine on hand in case." Can you tell us about some of the most common Halloween injuries and how parents can be prepared? "So the most common would be those trips and falls, right, because there's poor visibility and those costumes can be long and kids can trip on them...there's also burns because of those open flames and jack-o'-lanterns. There could be cuts from those pumpkin carving kits...so how can parents be better prepared? Make sure...those costumes are not too long. Make sure those are hemmed properly and they are...also flame resistant, fire resistant...make sure that the kids have a reflective tape or glow sticks or you follow well-lit pathways when it gets darker out there...and most of all just, you know, have fun and be safe and warm!"
