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Trampoline Injuries Rising
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| Wednesday, August 1st, 2007 | Emily Halevy | CWK Producer |
“A trampoline is fun -- nobody is saying it’s not fun … it’s fun all the way to the hospital.”
– Dr. Marc Tanenbaum, pediatrician
Despite warnings from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the number of trampolines sold for home use continues to rise. The number of injuries from kids using trampolines is also rising.
Fourteen-year-old Nathan broke two bones in his left arm. Seven-year-old Kirby broke his right elbow. Both boys were jumping on a trampoline.
“My foot got caught in the springs[and] I just fell off backwards,” Kirby says. “Just snapped my arm when I hit the ground.”
Nathan tells a similar story. “I got bounced off and fell on this arm…I broke my ulna and my radius.”
According to new research by Brown Medical School, the number of kids who end up in the emergency room because of trampoline injuries has more than doubled in the past decade. Approximately 13 percent of those injured were kids younger than 5.
“A trampoline is fun -- nobody is saying it’s not fun … it’s fun all the way to the hospital,” says pediatrician, Dr. Marc Tanenbaum.
And, he says, even with broken arms, Nathan and Kirby were lucky.
“You don’t have to be propelled off the trampoline to break your spine. You simply have to land in a certain way, on the tarp itself, where the head hyperflexes,” says Tanenbaum.
Some experts say that it’s the trampoline itself that is unsafe, but all agree that the greatest risk is when two or more kids are bouncing at the same time.
“When the first child hits the tarp, causing the tarp to be at an angle, the second child hits and is propelled off the trampoline,” Tanenbaum explains.
That’s why, if you have a trampoline, “Adult supervision is very important, but make sure that there’s only one child on the trampoline bouncing at a time,” advises physician’s assistant, Lynda Palmer.
What We Need To Know
- Only one person should use the trampoline at a time
- A safety pad should cover all portions of the steel frame and springs. The surface around the trampoline should have an impact-absorbing safety surface material.
- The condition of the trampoline should be regularly checked for tears, rust, and detachments.
- Ladders may provide unintended access to the trampoline by small children and should not be used.
- In supervised settings, the user of the trampoline should be at the center of the mat. The user of the trampoline should not attempt maneuvers beyond his/her capability or training, due to risk of injury.
- Adults, spotters and/or personnel trained in trampoline safety should be present whenever the trampoline is in use.
- The trampoline must be secured and not accessible when not in use.
Following are recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Resources
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Brown Medical School
