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Trampoline Injuries Triple
July 8, 2010 Updated Jul 8, 2010 at 4:03 PM EDT

Despite warnings from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the number of trampolines sold for home use continues to rise. What's also rising is the number of injuries. 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. Thirteen percent of those injuries were in kids younger than 5. Dr. Marc Tanenbaum, a Pediatrician, says "A trampoline is fun, nobody is saying it's not fun. It's fun all the way to the hospital." And, he says kids that only get broken arms are 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."
Some experts say trampolines are unsafe, period. But all agree the greatest risk is when two or more kids are bouncing at the same time. Dr. Tanenbaum adds that "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." That's why, he says, 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."
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises no children under six should jump on a trampoline, even if they are supervised.

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