<About halloween>

KIDS ACCIDENTS CAN BE PREVENTED

ADVICE FROM KAISER PERMANENTE

The Halloween Candies Treats

girl with candy and eating orange

Children look forward all year to dressing up for Halloween and trick or treating for all those goodies with their friends!

How to handle and keep the control of their sugar intake from Halloween candies especially in children who have diabetes?

Bobette Sherman, a certified diabetes educator and registered dietician at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center says, however, that parents have several good options for coping with the situation.

Parents Can Help Their Youngsters!

Sherman suggests possible strategies for dealing with the Halloween sugar rush - which may be useful to any parent who wants to temper children’s Halloween candy binges. They include:

•Friendly Exchange. Allow your child to trick-or-treat, then “buy” the candy back with another, healthy treat or a non-edible item the child desires.
• Focus on Activities. Organize or attend a ‘Halloween Fair’ or other event which focuses on games and fun activities rather than on candy.
• Sharing. Small children can be taught that Halloween is for sharing with the adults or other family members who didn’t go out trick or treating. Parents, other adults in the household, aunts or uncles all get some of the candy from their trick-or-treating, and the child may have a small amount to keep for him or herself.

If you are going to give out healthy treats try pre-packed dried fruits boxes of raisins; cranberries, or fruit roll-ups. For candy, sugarless gum or small size chocolate bars or chocolate kisses may be the best to give out at your door. Kids also like to get stickers or other small items, such as erasers, toy rings or mini-packs of crayons.

Why the chocolates are good? The chocolate lovers will be happy to hear that chocolate may actually promote good oral health. “Chocolate also has an antibacterial effect, and so that will counteract the high sugar content in chocolate”

Why are some kinds of candies not good? Any candy with caramel, taffy, or other sticky qualities can adhere to teeth and gums. Lollipops or candy that stays in the mouth a long time also have a higher risk of causing tooth decay.

Shop for treats that aren’t too sticky or too long lasting in the mouth. Also be aware that small children can easily choke on hard candies, so be sure to give them small things that dissolve quickly and are easily swallowed, or better still, give the really little ones a sticker instead.

Happy Halloween fo All

Kaiser Permanente serves nearly 500,000 members in the San Diego Area who receive their medical care from a total staff of 7,000 employees and 800 physicians. The San Diego Area includes 19 outpatient medical office facilities and a medical center with 395 licensed hospital beds, a 24-hour emergency department and a Level II Trauma unit. Kaiser Permanente has been in the San Diego area since 1967.

Salud + Health Info is for information and educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis or hands-on treatment. If you are concerned abut your health or that of a child, please consult your family’s physician or health provider immediately and do not try and diagnose yourself.

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