What's The Most Dangerous Halloween Candy For Kids?

What are the most dangerous Halloween candies?

As children collect everything from gummy candies and king size chocolate bars to stickers and pastries, there are a few precautions to keep in mind, especially to prevent choking in young kids.

Dr. Elizabeth Donner, who specializes in inpatient pediatrics with Nemours Children’s Health in Florida, tells TODAY.com how to make sure your spooky celebration is safe.

First rule? No eating candy on the run. "They should be seated, not running around down the sidewalk, not with a mask on their face,” Donner advises. “They should be seated enjoying their food, so that they have the opportunity to chew it and swallow it.”

Here's what to know about Halloween candy for kids before trick-or-treating.

Though choking can happen to anyone, Donner says that most cases occur in children under the age of 4.

She says the following types of candy pose the greatest choking hazard:

The safest options for Halloween can typically melt in a child's mouth and don't require much chewing, Donner explains.

These include soft cookies, animal crackers, cupcakes and most chocolate-based candies like Reese's peanut butter cups, Hershey's bars, Twix and Kit Kats, among others.

First, Donner reminds parents to recognize when a child is truly choking.

A person is choking when they can no longer breathe in or out, or make noise or cough, she explains. If a person is gagging on something, sputtering, coughing or turning red, she says to watch and wait.

“Their body is equipped to handle that, and gagging is something that all children experience from time to time. If they can no longer make noise or cough or move air through their airway, that’s when you need to intervene,” Donner says.

For infant choking victims, hold the baby face down and give five back slaps using the heel of the hand, according to the American Heart Association. Then, flip the infant over and give five chest thrusts using two fingers.

How to give CPR to an infant.

For any child over age 1, the American Heart Association advises giving the heimlich maneuver — wrapping your hands around the choking victim from behind and give thrusts above the person's naval, just below their breast bone.

How to give CPR to children.

Aside from choking, parents should also be on the lookout for candies with sneaky allergens.

Before trick-or-treating with a child with an allergy, Donner recommends that parents find a list of permissible foods that are free of their child's allergens or food sensitivities, and manufactured in a safe facility.

Teeth breaking while trying to chew candy can also become hazardous. Donner advises that very young children stay away from hard candies like Jawbreakers and jolly ranchers.

Parents should also be aware of hazards on Halloween that don't involve candy, Donner reminds.

“It’s important to be mindful of the other non-food choking risks, such as small plastic toys, bouncy balls, stickers, wrappers, temporary tattoos,” she says. “These are all things that could also potentially get lodged into a small airway.”

Unfortunately, snack size, individually wrapped candies often don't have an expiration date on them.

Donner says, as a general guideline, Halloween candy shouldn't be kept for more than three months. Perishable sweets, like cookies and cupcakes, should generally be thrown away after a week or two.

Becca Wood is a news and trending reporter for TODAY Digital based in New York City. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.