Pumpkin Carving Can Be Scary Without Safety

Precautions can prevent accidents that can cause injuries

From the Hudson Valley Hospital Center. Create your own announcement .  

Carving a Jack-o-Lantern is a fun holiday tradition, but can cause injuries if the rules of safety are not observed.

Erin Leary, OTR/L, CHT, a Certified Hand Therapist at Hudson Valley Hospital Center, says that parents should be careful to use the right tools when carving and to supervise children closely.

“Unfortunately, injuries sustained to the hand from carving pumpkins can be very severe,’’ she said. “While some injuries are minor cuts, others can be much more disabling, requiring surgeries that result in three to four months of rehabilitation.’’

O’Leary said that parents should follow some of these tips from The American Society for Surgery of the Hand:

• Always have adult supervision. Accidents can happen even when children are left alone for a few seconds.
• Carve in a clean, well-lit, dry area.  Any moisture on your tools, hands or table can cause slipping that can lead to injuries.
• Carving should be done by adults only. Children can trace the pattern and clean out the pumpkin. 
• When adults carve, they should cut away from themselves in short, controlled strokes.
• Use a pumpkin carving kit.  This will help reduce the chance of injuries.
• Paint a pumpkin instead. Children can express their creativity by painting or decorating pumpkins with objects that can be glued or attached.

For more information on hand injuries, please call Hudson Valley Hospital Center’s Center for Rehabilitation at (914) 734-3251.