Children's Hospital is part of the UPMC family.
Our Sites
Be safe anytime, anywhere.
To find a pediatrician or pediatric specialist, please call 412-692-7337 or search our directory.
A resource for our network of referring physicians.
For more information about research, please call our main office at 412-692-6438.
Ranked #8 Nationally by U.S. News & World Report.
PITTSBURGH, PA - October 24, 2012 - Children and adults both enjoy the Halloween holiday, but parents especially need to be aware that it can be one of the most dangerous nights of the year for young children who are out trick-or-treating.Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC is offering tips for families to make sure all of our trick-or-treaters, young and old, enjoy their night out and gather their goodies safely this year.
Vehicles pose one of the greatest dangers during the holiday, so Children’s Hospital injury prevention experts urge drivers to be on higher alert the weekend before and the night of Halloween, because kids will be heading outside, excited to get treats, and less likely to pay attention to traffic. Parents always need to supervise younger children during their trick-or-treating rounds, stay in familiar neighborhoods, and use safe pedestrian behaviors themselves as a good example to children. They need to instruct children to stick to sidewalks and cross walks to avoid any potential dangers and to always walk with a flashlight. While some kids are older and don’t need parental supervision, make sure they go out with a group of friends and never alone.
“Parents need to be extremely cautious and teach their children about pedestrian safety before they go out trick-or-treating,” said Barbara Gaines, M.D., director of the Benedum Pediatric Trauma Program at Children’s Hospital. “Kids are so overly excited to be dressed up in their costumes and have a fun night with their friends that they may not be paying attention to their surroundings, which can ultimately lead to an injury or even a trip to the emergency room.”
In addition to pedestrian safety this Halloween, parents and kids also should be careful when choosing a costume. To avoid trips and falls, costumes should not be long enough to tangle up in children’s feet. Also, costumes should have some type of reflective material or kids should wear reflective bands or pins so they are more visible to drivers in the dark. Masks that cover the face are a hazard for tripping or walking and should not have strings or cords hanging off of the costume that could potentially be a strangulation hazard.
Most communities have become more attentive about having their local police, fire and EMS departments on the streets during trick-or-treating to watch out for kids. If your community does not do this, this could be a good year to start to create more safety measures for children.
Children’s also offers some additional safety tips for parents during Halloween:
For more information and safety tips for the Halloween holiday, please visit www.chp.edu/besafe.
Andrea Kunicky, 412-692-6254, Andrea.Kunicky@chp.edu Marc Lukasiak, 412-692-7919, marc.lukasiak@chp.edu
Children's Hospital's main campus is located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Our main hospital address is:
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh One Children’s Hospital Way 4401 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224
In addition to the main hospital, Children's has many convenient locations in other neighborhoods throughout the greater Pittsburgh region.
With MyCHP, you can request appointments, review test results, and more.
For questions about a hospital bill call:
To pay your bill online, please visit UPMC's online bill payment system.
Interested in giving to Children's Hospital? Support the hospital by making a donation online, joining our Heroes in Healing monthly donor program, or visiting our site to learn about the other ways you can give back.