My son recently attended a birthday party for a classmate and friend that was at an indoor trampoline park. If you don’t know what that is, it’s basically a bunch of trampolines connected together in different configurations so children can jump together and play games on the trampolines. As a Child Passenger Safety Technician, I’m usually pretty aware of safety risks. I thought I knew the risks and that it was still safe. But I was wrong.
All of the children at the birthday party were seven or eight years old, so they were old enough to follow all the rules and I felt it was safe. About ten minutes into jumping, my son had collapsed and was screaming and crying. Another child had jumped onto his square (which has the rule of only one child jumping at a time) and he landed badly. He was carried off of the trampoline area by another parent.
He kept crying and saying his knee hurt. I honestly wasn’t sure if he was badly hurt or just exaggerating a bit (as kids sometimes do). It became clear that his pain wasn’t improving, so we took him to the doctor the next day. The office performed an X-ray on his legs to rule out any breaks. Well it turns out he had a broken femur. You know, one of the strongest bones in your body.
It was shocking to the doctors and to us. His leg didn’t look that bad. I felt extremely guilty that I hadn’t taken his pain as seriously as I should have, and gotten him seen sooner (although everyone since then has told me that there really wouldn’t have been a difference).
The next few days were so emotional. He got fitted with a splint for the remainder of that day, and the following day his leg was casted from toe to upper thigh. I felt so bad for him. All he had done was try to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and he left with a broken leg. He followed all the rules and was not irresponsible.
But that’s the thing. At trampoline parks, no matter how careful you and your child are, you cannot control the other kids. Another child broke the rule, and my child got a major injury from it. Of course the facility had us sign a waiver before the party releasing them of any liability. I “knew” the risks.
But did I know the risks?
Sure I signed the waiver. But the reality of how common trampoline injuries are was lost on me. So I decided to do a little research about it. Here’s a little about what I’ve learned.
Are trampoline parks the problem?
In a four year time span, emergency room visits from trampoline park injuries increased more than ten times. In the same time period the number of trampoline parks increased about six times, which accounts for much of the injury increase. However the rate of injury is still increasing more than the rate of increased facilities. One doctor says:
Trampoline parks may be inherently more dangerous because children are able to jump from trampoline to trampoline throughout the park and bump into other children. Research has suggested that approximately three-quarters of injuries occurred when multiple people were using one trampoline at a time.” —Dr. Sean Bandzar of Weill Cornell Medical College
One disturbing thing I realized was that there is no regulation of trampoline parks. You are taking their word for it that the equipment has been inspected and is safe to use. Trampoline parks do have rules, but they may not be consistent with AAP Guidelines.
The International Association of Trampoline Parks offers guidelines but neither they, nor any organization, actually have any authority over the parks. The IATP created this video for parks to use to educate patrons on the risks. It’s FULL of all KINDS of injuries! It almost would be funny if all of these risks weren’t real.
What does the research say?
Honestly, we don’t have that much data on the full impact of trampoline parks. What I realize now is that trampolines–in any recreational setting–are inherently dangerous. I used to think that was just something that overprotective parents would say. But when you really look at the research, injury levels are very consistent regardless of what safety measures have been implemented.
It is estimated that 145,207 people were injured using trampolines in 2017, the vast majority of which were under 14 years old. Most injuries are actually from at-home trampolines (although injuries from trampoline parks are on the rise). Here are the main points about trampoline injuries that I found:
- The risk of injury is so significant that the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly discourages the use of trampolines at home.
- Most trampoline injuries (75 percent) occur when multiple people are jumping
- Smaller children are 14 times more likely to be injured when jumping with heavier children
- Children under the age of six should not jump on trampolines
- Many injuries still happen even with supervision
- There is no statistical difference in the severity of the injury regarding trampolines with or without special safety measures.
- Trampoline safety knowledge among parents is low
How do we reduce the chance of injuries?
Of course, the easiest way to reduce injuries is to avoid using trampolines. But most of us know that it is unlikely that people will stop buying or using trampolines. There are guidelines you can implement to dramatically reduce the chances of injury. If you do choose to have a home trampoline or visit a trampoline park, the AAP recommends the following:
- Only one child jumping on the trampoline at a time
- No tricks or flips
- Protective padding and net enclosures that are used correctly and replaced when worn down
- Inspect the trampoline and its equipment regularly
- Active and engaged adult supervision that enforces the above rules
- Adding coverage for trampoline-related injuries on your homeowner’s insurance policy
I hope that someone out there can learn from my mistake and avoid having your baby endure this type of injury. Because it is really not fun for you or them! We are trying to make the best of it and find some fun activities that he can participate in this summer, but there will be no more trampoline parks in our future.
Sources:
- Protective measures on the trampoline can not prevent serious injury; Berger, N., Bader, B. & Bühren, V. Trauma Surgeon (2014) 117: 915. Https://doi.org/10.1007/s00113-013-2427-9
- Trampoline Safety in Childhood and Adolescence; American Academy of Pediatrics: Pediatrics, October 2012, VOLUME 130 / ISSUE 4
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