Current safety measures have not appeared to mitigate risk substantially, AAP group finds
MONDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Home trampoline use is strongly discouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), according to a policy statement published online Sept. 24 in Pediatrics.
Based upon current literature, prevalence, patterns, and mechanisms of trampoline-related injuries, Susannah Briskin, M.D., and colleagues from the AAP's Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, updated previous recommendations from the AAP pertaining to home use of trampolines.
The council found that most injuries on trampolines occur with multiple simultaneous users. Falls off the trampoline or attempts at somersaults or flips can lead to cervical spine injuries. There is a paucity of data on the efficacy of safety measures; however, current implementation of safety measures has not appeared to mitigate risk substantially.
"Pediatricians should counsel their patients and families against recreational trampoline use and explain that current data indicate safety measures have not significantly reduced injury rates and that catastrophic injuries do occur," Briskin and colleagues conclude.
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