Trampoline parks are becoming more and more popular in the US.
Researchers found a connection between the high number of trampoline parks and the increasing emergency rooms visits.
However, the author of the study thinks that this not is a safety issue related to the location, but the spike in accidents is connected to the tendency to consider them common places and thus ignore the specifics of the activity. In other words, people got used to them and became careless.
Up to 2014, the number of emergency rooms visits caused by trampoline jumps was close to 92,000 per year. The spike started in 2010.
“I don’t think trampoline park injuries are increasing because they are especially dangerous compared to home trampolines, but rather because of their growing popularity and the increasing number/availability of these facilities,” said lead study author Dr. Kathryn Kasmire from the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford.
In 2014, the number of injuries occurring in trampoline parks reached 7,000, while the number of parks increased from 40 in 2011 to 280 three years later.
Each month, up to six new parks open their gates, and by the end of the year, the total number of emplacements will become 450.
In assessing the total number of injuries related to trampoline parks, the researchers used a nationwide registry and later eliminated the injuries related to sport facilities and gymnastics.
The average age of the trampoline injuries was of 12, with just one year younger than the average age of kids who attend trampoline parks.
Between the age of 6 and 17, the children got hurt either in playing with trampolines back at home or in parks.
The most common types of injuries were fractures, sprains and dislocated joints, while the last two were more frequent in parks.
Parks seemed to be particularly dangerous for young kids. However, the study lacked consistent data on the types of injuries inflicted by trampolines. Even so, the authors believe that the number of emergency rooms visits had been underestimated, and the total cases of injuries may be much higher.
Trampolines were created as a device to be used by gymnasts, fighter pilots, and acrobats, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding its use for recreational purposes. Adults must always supervise children when they try out the trampoline, and only one kid at a time should use the device.
Even with supervision, the kids should be careful not to crash into one another, and the experts strongly advise against the multiple trampoline use.
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