Pediatricians advise against trampoline use

Elk Grove Village, IL – Recreational trampoline use led to about 98,000 injuries – 3,100 of them resulting in hospitalization – in 2009, according to an updated policy statement (.pdf file) issued Sept. 24 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In the updated statement, the association noted the following:

• Three-fourths of recreational trampoline injuries occur when multiple people are jumping.
• Falls from trampolines accounted for 27 to 39 percent of injuries.
• Failed somersaults or flips can result in severe spinal damage.
• Current evidence suggests trampoline netting and perimeter enclosures to prevent falls have not significantly reduced injuries.

AAP advises against recreational use of trampolines, reaffirming previous policy statements from 1999 and 2006. The group noted that overall injuries associated with recreational trampoline use have decreased since 2004, but so have trampoline sales.