The backyard trampoline is a common sight in the suburbs. But is it completely safe?
You would think that if kids can play on hard ground and concrete surfaces, that a soft surface like a trampoline would be very safe.
But the fact is, there are many injuries associated with trampoline, and experts are saying that parents should educate themselves about the dangers of trampoline injuries before putting one in the backyard.

Things can get a little crazy on a trampoline if kids aren't supervised, and this might lead to a trampoline injury. Laurie McCarthy owns a trampoline that her two kids, Megan and Connor, love to play on with their friends. “The most important thing we did was to make sure we limited the number of people. We try to keep it to no more then three or four,” says Laurie.

Laurie keeps a close eye on her kids Megan and Connor, and their friends, when they take to the trampoline. And she has set some important limits. 'We do not allow them to do flips on the trampoline. They're only allowed to jump up and down,' Laurie states.

In spite of this, medical experts are saying caveat emptor--buyer beware.

Research out of Hasbro Children's Hospital at Rhode Island Hospital reviewed data from across the U.S. between 1995 and 2002, and found that annual injuries from backyard trampolines had nearly doubled in that time. And the vast majority of trampoline injuries--91 percent--occurred at home.

Dr. Brad Pulver, the Assistant Director of Emergency Medicine at Englewood Hospital, says, 'We see kids that have injuries from trampolines because they land awkwardly while jumping off the trampoline.'

In 1995, there were around 41,600 emergency department visits for trampoline injuries, compared to an average of 74,696 emergency visits during each of the years 2001 and 2002.

Dr. Peter Salob, an orthopedic surgeon at Englewood Hospital, says, “The majority of trampoline injuries that we see are in the upper extremities. Most of these occur in the wrist and the elbow. The injuries include sprains, fractures and dislocations.”

Experts differ on whether backyard trampolines should simply be avoided, or if it's reasonable to have one as long as it's monitored properly. 'It's not an excessively dangerous activity, but it has the potential to cause injury. With supervision, the risk of trampoline injuries can be avoided,” says Dr. Pulver.

Laurie says she does the best she can, without being overprotective, and allowing her kids to be kids. There is a safety enclosure around the trampoline that prevents her kids from falling off and from hitting the support poles on top. “There have been some bumps and bruises from bones colliding elbows into each other, but no breaks,” says Laurie.

The researchers believe that trampolines should only be used in very structured, well-monitored environments, with proper supervision, which cannot happen at home.

The other issue regarding trampoline injuries is that of outdoor maintenance. In bad weather, the supporting structures of the trampoline could break, causing the trampoline to sag, and increasing the risk of trampoline injury.

For more information on trampoline safety and trampoline injuries, go to:

http://www.fscip.org/tramp.html

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