Should you find your child pinging off the walls this Halloween season, don't blame the Milky Way bars.
Though its chocolaty goodness may impart an emotional high, candy and other sugary treats are unlikely causes of behavioral changes in children. That's the consensus of scientists who have studied the relationship between sugar and behavior in children. Sugar isn't a drug. Any appearance of a connection between sugar and behavior is likely imagined or coincidental, not real.

Of course, those are fightin' words in some circles. It doesn't jibe with the anecdotal experiences of many teachers and parents. I've heard from many who are convinced of cause and effect. They anticipate the birthday parties and ice cream socials, and they brace themselves.

There's a slim chance that some may be right and that the soft drinks and Twizzlers may, in fact, stimulate mild behavioral changes in a small number of children. But that's as much of a relationship as the available evidence can support. More and longer studies -- including larger study samples -- would be necessary to be any more certain.

The many forms of sugar also confound attempts to pin blame. We get sugar in our diets every day from the fructose, for example, that is a natural component of fruits, or lactose, the sugar that occurs naturally in milk.

Even refined sugar comes in many forms. White granulated sugar is made from sugar beets or sugar cane. Corn is also used to make refined sugars, including high-fructose corn syrup used in soft drinks and many processed foods.

If it's true that sugar's not to blame, then why are kids climbing the walls? Several factors may be coming into play:

• A party environment. Sugary treats often play a major role in kids' celebrations and other special events. The excitement of being with their friends and anticipating the fun may be enough to throw behavior into high gear.
•  The self-fulfilling prophecy. Teachers and parents who are convinced kids will act out under certain circumstances may ensure those results by subtly transferring those expectations to kids. Alternatively, adults may view kids' behavior as more extreme than it is simply because they expect it to be.
• Associates of sugar. Sugar is often accompanied by artificial flavorings, colorings and caffeine in soft drinks, candy, ice cream, cakes and cookies. Caffeine is a stimulant, and it's possible that some children may be sensitive to the other additives as well.
  If you still need convincing that your child's behavior isn't affected by sugar, you can always test your theory with an at-home experiment, similar to the sort of nutritional detective work that's often necessary to diagnose food allergies and sensitivities.

Without drawing attention to it, remove from your child's diet all foods containing added sugars, including white and brown sugar, sucrose and high fructose corn syrup. Omit all sugary breakfast cereals, breakfast pastries, pancake syrup, sweet drinks and desserts. Do it for at least a week, two if you can.

At the same time, avoid all artificial flavorings and colorings, as well as caffeine in soft drinks, tea, coffee and chocolate. (It may help to shop at a natural foods store during this time).

When you're ready, break the sugar fast without fanfare by introducing a sweet dessert and a sweet drink to help it go down. Observe your child's behavior for the next couple of hours. Well?

Regardless of whether sugar causes children to behave differently, nobody disputes the fact that they should eat less of it. Sweets can be concentrated packages of calories, contributing to obesity, promoting tooth decay and displacing nutrient-rich, lower-calorie foods such as fruits and vegetables.

For that, you can blame the Milky Way.

Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a licensed, registered dietitian and author. She holds a doctorate in health policy and administration from UNC-Chapel Hill, where she is a clinical assistant professor in the School of Public Health. Send questions and comments to suzanne@onthetable.net.