Ways to Make Your Child's Halloween Costume Safer

During a Local 12 Ask the Expert segment, Jay Rissover MD, an internal medicine doctor at Blue Ash Internal Medicine, explains a few ways to make your child's Halloween costume safer this year.

Common Halloween Costume Safety Concerns

Jeff Stewart, of Blue Ash, says he has made a few adjustments to his son's costume, "just to make sure he could move freely down the street without creating more trip hazards."

Dr. Rissover says the two main Halloween costume safety concerns include:

• How well someone wearing a costume can see
• How well other people can see the person wearing the costume

"The number one risk is tripping on a costume, or not being able to see because of your costume," Dr. Rissover points out. "You're walking in unfamiliar terrain. It's dark. You can walk off a curb very easily."

How to Make Your Child's Costume Safer

It's important for your child to wear shoes that are easy to walk around in. For example, Dr. Rissover says clown shoes are more adult props. "I would not send them out with your children," he adds.

He also suggests encouraging your child to opt for a costume made of bright materials or fabric, making it easier for other people to see him or her when it gets dark.