Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Avoid this dangerous game this Halloween. Shutterstock

Bobbing for apples, the silent danger this Halloween

“Attempting to bite the apple at force when dunking their head” can cause injuries to children according to eye doctors.

HALLOWEEN CAN BE  a busy night for A&E departments around the country. Fireworks, sparklers, bonfires, apple bobbing. Wait, apple bobbing? Yes, apple bobbing.

Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children is warning against the traditional  Halloween game where children dunk their heads into a bucket of water full of apple and try to pull one out with their teeth.

According to Dr Kathyrn McCreer, eye surgeon at the hospital, injuries that can occur “as a result of the child attempting to bite the apple at force when dunking their head.”

She says that possible dangers include scratches on the surface of the eye as well as infections from dirty water and water communally used by a number of children.

The hospital says that although they “are not asking people to avoid fun on this family occasion”, apple bobbing is “best avoided”.

Eye injuries

McCreery says that she sees a variety of eye injuries happening to children at Halloween, most of which are completely avoidable:

The most common accidents I see include corneal abrasions and bleeding in the eye, caused by children being struck in the eye with sharp Halloween accessories such as swords, knives or wands and eye injuries as a result of poor supervision of fireworks and around bonfires.

“Parents need to make sure accessories such as swords and other objects are soft and flexible, and have dulled edges”, she adds.

Other eye injuries that eye doctors in A&E’s departments have to deal with on a busy Halloween night include cigarette burns to the cornea, foreign objects that get under the eye lids, bruising of the eyes and infections as a result of poor removal of children wearing make-up.

“Old make-up is a breeding ground for bacteria,” according to McCreery. Yikes!

Read: The Burning Question*: Is it silly to decorate the house for Halloween? >

Read: Warning over fireworks danger – and €10,000 fine for using them illegally >

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
91 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kieran Monaghan
    Favourite Kieran Monaghan
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 11:49 AM

    Just wait until he grows old wrinkled and the ink fades. He will be sorry then.

    145
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Edmond J. Hickey
    Favourite Edmond J. Hickey
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 12:02 PM

    Just wait until his Mother finds out about this.

    139
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute O Swetenham
    Favourite O Swetenham
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 11:04 AM

    Should’ve got a tramp stamp.

    66
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Montys Moonshine
    Favourite Montys Moonshine
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 11:51 AM

    I saw a butterfly with a tattoo of a fat bird on its wing the other day.

    117
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jack Bowden
    Favourite Jack Bowden
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 10:56 AM

    Gross!

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris Dunphy
    Favourite Chris Dunphy
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 11:02 AM

    Because tattoos in general are gross? Or because of his age?

    82
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Owen Brady
    Favourite Owen Brady
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 1:40 PM

    BBC standards are slipping

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Baker
    Favourite Sean Baker
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 11:17 AM

    Needs some ink before joining his bbc colleagues in the big house

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute harsh but fair
    Favourite harsh but fair
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 11:18 AM

    When I saw BBC I taught it was Big Black Co….

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Martin Sinnott
    Favourite Martin Sinnott
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 1:11 PM

    Why is this news ? People get tattoo’ s every day

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ann Mahon
    Favourite Ann Mahon
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 1:13 PM

    About right . He good on TV , but has a bit of a nasty mouth . A sting in lots of his comments . Very apt Tattoo

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Neville
    Favourite Tom Neville
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 2:30 PM

    MANKY.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Francis Foley
    Favourite Francis Foley
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 6:31 PM

    Who would have know the Dimbleby was so stupid, you’d think at 75 he would have got sense!

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Henry Sellars
    Favourite Henry Sellars
    Report
    Nov 12th 2013, 4:36 PM

    Skin like fu***n leather I’d say… probably broke a dozen needles doin that tatt…

    3
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds