Health consultant shares Halloween safety tips for trick-or-treaters

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A UnitedHealthcare health and engagement consultant is sharing tips to help families avoid unexpected trips to the doctor on Saturday night.The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported about 3,000 Halloween-related emergency department visits each year.Costume and pumpkin tipsCourtney Schauder, the UnitedHealthcare consultant, said parents can light up a child’s costume with glow sticks or reflective tape attached to the costume. The lights and tape make children more visible in the dark.She said people carving pumpkins should use the hand-over-hand technique. Treats and food allergiesSchauder also recommended a quick inspection of the treats a child collects.“Those smaller candies can have, at times, some different ingredients that may pose a risk, so you always want to give it a double check,” Schauder said. “And for food allergy trick-or-treaters, they can be on the lookout for houses that have a teal pumpkin outside.”Schauder said teal pumpkins are a