Trampolines are popular among kids and adults, but there's no denying they're dangerous. Whether kids are supervised at an indoor park or jumping on a trampoline in the backyard, there's always risk for significant injury. This makes trampolines inappropriate and dangerous for play.
Should you let your kids use trampolines? The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests trampolines should never be used unless athletes are being supervised in training for a sport like diving or gymnastics. As the weather warms each season, however, pediatric orthopaedists tend to see an increase in fractures.
"Kids have been cooped up all winter long," pediatric orthopaedic surgeon Ryan Goodwin, MD, says. "We expect to see 8FT Trampoline and bicycle fracture rates rise." Dr. Goodwin has treated trampoline injuries where bones are broken so severely that they need emergency surgical repair. And it's not just fractures. Concussions, head and neck injuries, sprains and strains are also common.
Research reported nearly 100,000 trampoline-related injuries in a one-year period among children. Small children are 14 times more likely to get hurt than bigger children.Three-quarters of all trampoline injuries occur when multiple kids are jumping at one time. Falls are the major culprit when it comes to injury. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, botched somersaults and flips are often the cause of cervical spine injuries with permanent injury.
How to reduce trampoline injuries? If you already have a trampoline and want to keep using it, here are some safety rules that should be followed at all times:
Only allow one person to jump at a time.
Make sure the springs are covered.
Install a safety net around the perimeter of the trampoline.
Avoid somersaults or flips.
Provide adult supervision at all times.
Many injuries still occur despite adult supervision, Dr. Goodwin notes. Because of the overall risk, many homeowners insurance policies don't cover trampoline-related injury.
The absolute safest way to avoid trampoline injury? Stay off of them.
