Staying safe on Halloween night - DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

Our neighborhoods will be crawling with princesses, supermen, ninjas and ghosts on Halloween night. Keeping your kids safe out on the streets can be a little tricky for parents.

The thing about Halloween is kids are thinking about candy. They're not thinking about the cars, or getting tripped up by their costume, or having an allergic reaction. That's where you can step in, and help your child stay out of the emergency room.

South Fulton Medical Center emergency room Dr. Dion David likes kids. He just doesn't like seeing them wasting Halloween in his emergency room. He had some safety advice for parents.

"I would say it's never a good time to let their kids go out on their own. Always have a supervisory adult and travel in packs. You never know who the stranger next door is going to be.  Not to scare anyone, but definitely don't let your kids go by themselves anywhere," said David

David says one of the most common reason kids end up in the emergency room on Halloween is that they fall.

"Sometimes the mask slips up on their face, they don't see where they're going: trip, fall injuries," said David.    

Halloween is also tricky for kids with food allergies. If they're severe, kids should trick or treat with their epi-pen, just in case. David says tell your kids not to eat the candy until they get home and you look through it together.

"Make it a fun thing for the kids, sit down, throw all the candy out on the table," said David.

If your child has food allergies, check the labels.

"A lot of time chocolates come with a lot of fillings in them. So you want to make sure if your child is allergic to coconuts, peanuts, strawberries, make sure you look at the ingredients that kids are going to be taking in," advised David.

For younger kids, David says take out anything they can choke on, including toys.     

"They're going to think it's candy; so, a lot of the little toys, little plastic toy cars, toy trucks. They're going to put those things in their mouth, stuff it in their nose, put it in places that you'll never think of," said David.

If you're going to be giving candy out, make sure you clear the walkway and stairs to your house of anything that might trip someone. It's also a good idea to turn on your front porch lights, and put your pets up for the evening. All the commotion and little people in costumes can be stressful for them, and treats like chocolate can be toxic to dogs.