Halloween Candy Safety and H1N1 Swine Flu
Pediatricians' Advice on Trick or Treating and Preventing Flu
There aren't many studies investigating Halloween candy and flu virus transmission. So the following 12 tips are based on practical advice from practicing pediatricians. They tell parents how to handle Halloween trick-or-treating for candy, with the goal of minimizing the risk of contracting H1N1 swine flu and other "bugs."
Forget Grab Bags. Consider Non-Food Treats
- Give Non-Candy Halloween Treats. There’s national concern over childhood obesity. Instead of candy, Dr. Shu* recommends “trading cards, baseball cards, tattoos, bookmarks, balls, glow sticks, or plastic spiders,” noting that these treats “don’t promote obesity and tooth decay.“ Check Oriental Trading Company and Target stores.
- Scoop Halloween Candy, to Avoid H1N1. When giving out candy, hand it or scoop it – but avoid the grab bag. “If kids are fingering through a bag of candy it could add germs to the mix,” says Dr. Shu. Instead, hand the candy to each trick-or-treater. Or, use a cup to scoop it from a bowl. That way, many hands aren’t touching the same chocolate candy kiss.
Halloween Candy: Put Aside for Two Days
- Let Those Germs Die. Let Halloween candy “sit” for a few days before touching or eating it. Dr. Shu says, "two days is plenty of time for any contagions" like a H1N1 virus that happens to be on the candy wrapper to die.
- Avoid Obesity. No need to be a killjoy, but make Halloween candy last.
Halloween Candy: Inspect, Toss, Wash
Parents, be prepared for heavy-duty negotiations over what, how much and when children can eat Halloween treats. That might mean having appealing substitutes on hand, such as other candy, pennies or little treats.
- Toss Unwrapped Candy. Always check Halloween candy for safety
- Inspect the Rest. If candy packaging is wet then it might be that the substance is "contagious from drool, saliva, a runny nose," said Dr. Shu. "I might be concerned about wet droplets from infected kids’ hands,” she added.
- To Wash or Not to Wash Halloween Candy? Dr. Shu said, "Some parents may want to wipe the candy wrapper down with a disinfectant such as Lysol or Clorox wipes. Once the disinfectant has dried or evaporated completely, it’s considered safe for children to handle." However, she added, "be very careful with candy packages that aren't tightly sealed because disinfectant could leak into the candy itself and then be potentially toxic or sickening."Or, air it out a bit longer for good measure.
Can Halloween Costumes Prevent H1N1, Flu, Cold Viruses?
Dr. Tolcher* notes that viruses can be transmitted through “any hand-to-hand contact or people coughing or sneezing on each other within six feet.” So, can Halloween costumes help prevent transmission?
- Costumes with Gloves. Gloves might seem like a good idea, but, says Dr. Tolcher, they don't offer much flu protection because "what a child will do with his or her gloves is precisely what they’d do with their hands."
- Face Masks. Wearing a mask could help if trick-or-treaters travel in close-knit groups and one in the group is sick and sneezing or coughing. However, the downside is that masks limit vision, making it easier to trip or fall.
Healthy Halloween
- Sick Kids Shouldn't Go Out on Halloween. Some parents can’t bear to see their children both sick and disappointed. Dr. Tolcher reminds, “If a child is sick, don’t just give him or her something to suppress the fever and let them go trick-or-treating. Keep them home.”
- Don't Eat Candy for Dinner. Dr. Shu recommends that children eat healthy dinner before trick-or-treating.
- Remind Children to be Careful. Children get hurt on Halloween, says Dr. Shu, from tripping, falling, and car accidents, including from darting into the street between cars. She cautions about fires caused by knocking over lit pumpkins. She recommends that children wear flame retardant fabrics, reflective tape, that they bring a flashlight, and don't allow their costume to cover their eyes or impair their vision.
- Practice Good Hygiene. Dr. Shu reminds, "My general rule of thumb is wash before eating and after outside." Handwashing holds for Halloween, too.
Halloween Health, Not Germophobia
Even during scary-monster Halloween season, parents shouldn't frighten children about the powers of invisible germs. “My main suggestion,” said Dr. Tolcher, is that parents and children stay "germ-conscious without being paranoid, and practice healthy habits, like keeping one’s hands out of one’s nose and mouth, not sharing saliva with others, and staying home when sick."
Anything goes on Halloween – even dressing as a swine flu virus H1N1 costume. Halloween provides an opportunity for parents to sneak in a few good lessons on hygiene and safety for trick or treating children.
*Interviews done in October 2009 with Dr. Christopher Tolcher, a Los Angeles-based pediatrician and Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at USC School of Medicine, and Dr. Jennifer Shu, Atlanta-based pediatrician and co-author of Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup. [American Academy of Pediatrics, 2007].
Candy Safety for H1N1 Halloween
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