COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 6-Children are as likely to get injured using recreational mini-trampolines are they are with full-sized trampolines, a study has found. This was particularly so for kids under six.
The researchers cautioned that trampolines of any size should not be used by children or by adults as a backyard toy.
"Until more data are available regarding the exposure to risk, we recommend against the use of the mini-trampoline as a play device by children in the home, which is where most mini-trampoline-related injuries occur," wrote Brenda J. Shields of Children's Hospital here in the July issue of Pediatrics.
Action Points
- Caution patients to avoid using either mini- or full-sized trampolines at home. Children and adults are both at risk for various injuries, including lacerations, sprains, strains, and fractures.
- Inform patients that attempting to perform a stunt on a trampoline, such as a somersault, could place them at risk for a major injury.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against the recreational use of trampolines at home or at schools and other public facilities, such as community centers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says backyard trampolines are unsafe for children and recommends a halt in private recreational sale of these items. However, the researchers said, this recommendation is based primarily on data from full-sized trampoline use. Few studies have examined the impact of mini-trampoline use.
Their findings are based on a retrospective analysis of data extracted from National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Combing through data from 1990 to 2002, Shields and colleagues looked at patients ranging in age from one to 80 who used both full- and mini-sized trampolines. Eighty-two percent of the mini-trampoline users and 91% of the full-sized trampoline users were under age 18. Females accounted for just under 63% of the mini-trampoline users and 51% of the full-sized trampoline users.
A total of 137 mini-trampoline-related injuries were reported to the surveillance system during the study period and all of them were included in the study. Of the 22,997 full-sized trampoline injuries reported, researchers randomly selected 143 to be included in the analysis.
Falling onto or off of both types of trampolines were the reasons for the majority of injuries (48.8% of mini-trampolines and 48.9% of full-sized). Those using a mini-trampoline were more likely to be injured by tripping over it compared with a full-sized one, 17% vs. 3%, respectively.
When compared with six- to 17-year-olds, children under age six were more likely to be injured on a mini-trampoline than a full-sized one (odds ratio: 2.43; 95% confidence interval: 1.33-4.47; P <.01).
The most common injury on mini-trampolines for youngsters age six and under was head lacerations (OR: 4.98; 95% CI: 1.71-16.03) while children ages six to 17 had higher risks for lower extremity strains and sprains (OR: 6.26; 95% CI: 1.35-59.14).
The reason that head lacerations might have been more common among this age group, the investigators said, is because younger children's higher center of gravity may make them more likely to fall head-first. Children in this age group also lack muscle strength and coordination in their arms to protect themselves from a fall, they added.
On full-sized trampolines, children under age six were more likely to have lower extremity fractures or dislocations while their older peers in the six- to 17-year-old group were more likely to sustain lower extremity strains and sprains (OR: 4.85; 95% CI: 1.09-44.93; P = .03). Lower extremity strains and sprains were also most common among adults 18 years and older at 33% for mini-trampolines and 15% of full-sized trampolines.
Patients using a full-sized trampoline were more likely to be injured while jumping or performing a stunt compared with mini-trampoline users, 35.3% vs. 20.6%, respectively. The researchers said other evidence has shown the majority of quadriplegia cases associated with trampoline use were caused by incorrect execution of a somersault. Only one cervical spine fracture, which occurred among a 34-year-old patient, was reported in this study. The researchers said there were no data available on the outcome of this patient.
All of the mini-trampoline patients were treated and released at hospital emergency departments. Five percent of the patients injured on full-sized trampolines were admitted to the hospital.
This latest study comes just two months after a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in Washington reported that trampoline trauma has more than doubled in the past decade. That study was also based on the surveillance system data.
Related article:
Primary Source
Pediatrics
Shields et al, "Comparison of Minitrampoline- and Full-Sized Trampoline-Related Injuries in the United States, 1990-2002," Pediatrics, July 2005; vol. 116; No. 1; p. 96-103.