In a few short weeks, children all over the country will dress up and go door to door collecting Halloween candy. Parents will be taking pictures and videos; kids will be making fun memories with friends and family. However, Halloween is challenging for parents that want to balance the fun against the dangers of the holiday. Because of the nature of neighborhood trick or treating, contact with strangers, and dressing up in a variety of costumes, children accidentally are exposed to allergens. Halloween is a very dangerous time of year for food allergy sufferers, but the activities can also affect other allergy and asthma sufferers.

According to recent press release from the AAAI, parents need to stress safety and preparedness. At Halloween, children and their parents must be vigilant, according to Jacqueline A. Pongracic, MD, FAAAAI, vice chair of the AAAAI Adverse Reactions to Foods Committee.

"Candy products frequently include ingredients like peanuts, tree nuts, milk and egg - some of the most common food allergens in children," Pongracic said.

"Peanuts and tree nuts are common causes of severe, life-threatening reactions, and children and their parents need to be aware of this and check ingredients for all treats. This can be especially tricky with Halloween candies, which often do not have ingredients listed on their labels."

Here is a checklist of safety tips from the AAAI. I have picked out a few tips that may be beneficial for you as you prepare for Halloween:

• Do not allow your child to trick or treat alone. Accompany younger children as they trick or treat and send older children out with a group of friends.
• Verify that adults or friends with your child understand his or her food allergies and what to do in an emergency.
• Make sure your child carries emergency medication along on Halloween night.
• Carefully, check all treats’ ingredients on packages or company web sites to ensure that there is no risk for a reaction.
• If in doubt about the ingredients, discard the candy or move to a charity pile.

Remember that small candy bars passed out to trick-or-treaters may have different ingredients than their regular-size counterparts. Even if a certain candy is safe for your child, the 'fun size' version might not be.

Check back tomorrow for some additional Halloween safety tips and fun ideas from our parents and staff here at achoo! Allergy.