All kids love Halloween, but this holiday can be rather difficult for children with food allergies. Treats and candy from Halloween parties and trick-or-treat rounds may put them at risk of allergic reactions. But all is not lost. Food-allergic kids can have a good time on Halloween night if their parents take some safety precautions.
Throw a Party
Instead of heading out to trick-or-treat, hold a Halloween party at home. Invite other children who have similar allergies. Decorate the house with the usual Halloween must-haves and get everyone to dress up as their favorite superheroes or monsters. Plan the menu and serve only safe Halloween food. Have some fun games and Halloween-themed activities.
Distribute Safe Candy to Neighbors first
Linda Marienhoff Coss, author of How to Manage your Child’s Life-threatening Food Allergies [California: Palmtree Press, 2004] says parents who know their neighbors very well have one advantage if they plan to let their children go trick-or-treating. “If your child is very young and you’re on good terms with your neighbors, 'secretly' go around the neighborhood in advance of Halloween and distribute safe candy for your neighbors to give to your child,” she explains. That way, the child will get to enjoy safe treats and not miss the fun of trick-or-treating.
Follow Trick-or-Treating Safety Guide
Parents should accompany their food-allergic child on their rounds. They can also appoint an adult they can trust to do the job. Make sure the adult appointed is fully aware of the child’s allergies and know exactly what to do in an emergency. Bring along emergency medication.
Check All Candy Treats
Tell the child not to eat any treats collected before coming home, and that mum and dad need to see if they are safe to eat. Check the ingredients carefully. Put aside all candy without ingredient statements. Get some safe non-food items such as Halloween stickers, pencils, puzzles, small toys and plastic jewelry that the child can trade the “unsafe” candy with later on. Parents should also get the child to eat dinner properly before trick-or-treating so that there are fewer urges to chomp on the candy collected.
Teach the Child about Food Allergies
Parents should teach their child about his food allergies so that he can better manage the problem himself. Train him to politely decline food that he is allergic to or food that has no ingredient statements. Teach him to spit out food that makes him sick if he accidentally eats it and to immediately tell mum, dad or the adult accompanying him about it.
Get Involved in Charity Trick-or-Treat Event
In its Halloween guide for food-allergic children, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) suggests that families with food-allergic children take part in Halloween-related charity events instead of collecting candy. One such event is the annual Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network’s Trick-or-Treat for Food Allergy fund raising drive to raise money for food allergy education and research programs.
By following safety approaches such as hosting a party; distributing safe snacks to neighbors; going trick-or-treating wisely; checking food ingredients; educating children about food allergies or participating in a charity event, children with food allergies needn’t be left out on this special day. All it takes is a bit of planning and some adjustment and the kids will still have a fun and safe Halloween.
Found this article useful? Read also Holiday Treats for Kids with Food Allergies.
Wei Yin Wong - I started my working life as a reporter at an English daily called The Sun in Malaysia 16 years ago, writing health-related articles. ...
