Health Tips for October 10

Health Tip: Choosing a Safe Halloween Costume

It's that time of year -- when the stores are chock-full of skeletons, ghosts, zombies and other youthful disguises.

To help ensure a safe Halloween for children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers these guidelines to help parents choose the right costumes:

• Make sure costumes fit properly and don't drag on the ground, posing a tripping hazard.
• Stick a few strips of reflective tape on all costumes, so they're easier to see in the dark. This tape is available at many hardware, sporting goods and bicycle stores.
• Ask your child to carry a flashlight, and to use it while walking in the dark.
• Don't allow your child to wear costume shoes (or a parent's shoes).
• Look for accessories that are soft, flexible and don't pose a danger to others.
• Opt for face makeup and paint, rather than a mask, which can restrict vision.

Health Tip: Choosing a Child Safety Seat

A child safety seat could save your youngster's life in the event of a serious automobile accident.

The Nemours Foundation offers this list of safety features to look for in a child safety seat:

• The product should be labeled as meeting or exceeding Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
• If you can, invest in a new child safety seat rather than accepting a hand-me-down or buying a used one.
• Never use a child safety seat that was made more than 10 years ago or one that was in a car accident.
• Make sure that any infant younger than a year old and weighing less than 20 pounds is in an infant safety seat facing backward. Toddlers 1 year and older and weighing 20 pounds to 40 pounds can ride in a forward-facing safety seat. Children who are between 40 pounds and 80 pounds should use a booster seat.
• Make sure your child's safety seat is a good fit -- don't get one that's too small or too large.