Doctors believe that trampolines are a danger to kids, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The AAP recently released an updated policy statement, called “Trampoline Safety in Childhood and Adolescence,” with new data on injuries from trampoline use, the impact of current safety measures and the types of injuries associated with trampoline use.
According to the new data, injury rates from trampoline use have fallen since 2004. However, nearly 100,000 trampoline-related injuries occurred in the U.S. in 2009, convincing doctors to continue advising against trampoline use among children.
“Pediatricians need to actively discourage recreational trampoline use,” said Michele LaBotz, co-author of the updated policy statement from the AAP, according to an AAP report. “Families need to know that many injuries occur on the mat itself, and current data do not appear to demonstrate that netting or padding significantly decrease the risk of injury.”
Researchers say that the majority of trampoline use injuries happen when several people are jumping on a trampoline at the same time. Smaller children, researchers contend, are at greater risk for bad injuries. Approximately half of the injuries of children 5 years of age or younger are fractures or dislocations.
U.S. doctors recommend that pediatricians advise parents against recreational trampoline use. In addition, the AAP says that parents should check with their health insurance providers to determine that their insurance covers trampoline injury-related claims. Children using trampolines, researchers add, should have appropriate parental supervision.
The updated policy statement was published in the October 2012 issue of the journal Pediatrics.
