Backyard Trampoline

I copied this from a deleted (off topic) post in another thread:

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons both agree that trampoline injuries are up sharply, and that parents who see the trampoline as a plaything don’t realize the risk.

The pediatricians’ group takes a hard line. “The trampoline should never be used in home or recreational settings,” its position statement said. “The trampoline has no place in recreational sports.”

Some parents believe trampolines are safe because they are sold like playground equipment and toys in stores, Blazier said. It’s an “implied trust” that, because a big retailer stocks it, the trampoline is safe, he said.

Kids will still get hurt, Smith said. “To me, supervision is a myth. I think this reliance on parental supervision has gotten us into trouble.”

In his unpublished research, a majority of injuries occurred “while a parent was standing there watching,” Smith said. “They say, `It happened so quickly I didn’t have time to react.”‘

Children using the trampoline together can bounce into one another. Sometimes this pushes a child off balance, leading to an improper fall that can break a bone, the doctors said. In other cases, a child can be bounced onto one of the trampoline’s metal supports, or off the trampoline onto the ground, they said.

The upward movement of the mat and the downward movement of the younger child can generate enough force to snap the frontal leg bone of the younger child below the knee, Blazier said. “I have seen this over and over again,” he said. The injuries require up to a month in a cast, but they heal, he said.

Only one child should be on a trampoline at any time, the orthopedic surgeon’s statement said. Spotters should be present, and high-risk activities such as somersaults should be avoided unless there is proper supervision.