Halloween originated from several customs, the earliest of which dates back to Ireland in the fifth century B.C. As we know it today, the Oct. 31 celebration is a fun way to dress up in sometimes scary costumes. But experts warn that precautions are needed to ensure that disguises are the only frightening things on All Hallows' Eve.

Always Keep Your Eyes on Your Children

The No. 1 cause of injuries on Halloween night is accidental falls from tripping over hems of costumes, steps, curbs, or unseen objects, according to that National Safety Council. But even more startling is that four times more children are killed annually in pedestrian/automobile accidents on that holiday night than on any other night of the year, reports the CDC.
"The most important thing on Halloween is that children are escorted and watched. They have a great potential of running from in front of or behind a car," says Richard Douglas, a Lewisville, Texas Police Department community relations officer. "We prefer that the young ones are in from trick or treating before dark."
Indeed, the CDC reminds parents that the return from daylight-saving to standard time lengthens the period of darkness and that a number of other factors could put children in the path of a car. These include their short stature, inability to react quickly enough to avoid a car or evaluate a potential traffic threat, lack of impulse control, and distractions because of shouts from other children, eye-catching costumes, and urges to acquire the best candy.

"Children are so excited on that night that they aren't using their normal safety sense," says Kerri Totty, a certified hand therapist at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital.

For more Halloween safety tips visit BlackDoctor.org

(Photo: JOSHUA ROBERTS/LANDOV)