Trampoline park injuries have soared as the trend has spread, according to a study that shows annual US emergency room visits jumped 12-fold for park-related injuries over five years, reports the AP. Injuries included broken legs, neck sprains, and concussions, but 90% of the injured children and adults were treated and released. The study by researchers at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford was published Monday in Pediatrics. In 2010, there were 581 ER visits for injuries from trampoline parks versus 6,932 in 2014. During those years, the number of parks multiplied from 25 to 350 nationwide. Last year, there were 460 in North America, mostly in the US, and another 220 around the globe.
Most trampoline injuries occur at home, not parks, and the researchers cite data showing that ER visits for home injuries were mostly stable during the study years, totaling about 60,000 each year. Two-thirds of the trampoline park injuries were in kids aged 6 to 17, while about 1 in 5 were in ages 18 and up. Only 14% were younger than age 6, while that age group accounted for 30% of those injured on home trampolines. Injuries were most common in boys and whites. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against children using trampolines at home or parks. The International Association of Trampoline Parks says the rate of injury is low—less than one per 10,000 jumpers at a typical park. The group advocates supervision and protective padding. (More trampoline stories.)
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