Howmar
From Dec 13 2006 for 1 month. Thanks for the advice re trampoline injury's.
My middle child is in competitive gymnastics here in Toronto (just east) and he has a birthday on Dec 17th turns 12. My other 2 should be safe as we will get the safety net with it too and demand it be used ALWAYS! I don't know if it will still be there the next time we go though seeing we are in Costa Azul and don't have the 2 metre fence around the property. Haven't decided yet to spend the $7000.00 US in getting the fence done or not. All this violence that has appeared recently has made me question about buying outside a true gated community.
Getting back to the trampoline safety issue. Are these injuries caused by flying off the thing or are there several while still staying on the thing and landing on your head or something?
Thanks,
Steve
A quick search reveals:
According to the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), 246,875 medically treated trampoline injuries occur annually in the U.S. Of this total, 186,405 of these injuries occurred among children aged 14 or younger.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) hospital emergency room-treated trampoline injuries almost tripled in the last decade - from an estimated 37,500 in 1991 to almost 100,000 in 1999.
The commission has received reports of 11 deaths relating to trampoline use from 1990 to 1999. Those victims ranged in age from 3 to 43. Six were between the ages of 12 and 19.
Falls off the trampoline often resulted in crippling injury and/or death including paralysis from spinal cord injury. Somersaults and coming into contact with other persons on the trampoline's surface likewise resulted in many serious and crippling injuries as well as death.
Nearly two-thirds of trampoline injury victims were children 6 to 14 years of age.
About 15% of trampoline injuries involved young children under 6 years old.
In 1999, injuries to the leg/foot were reported most frequently, accounting for 40% of the total. Injuries to the arm/hand accounted for 29% of the total, head/face/neck accounted for 20%, and shoulder/trunk were associated 10% of the total.
Approximately 4% of all trampoline emergency-room treated injuries result in hospitalization.
Most trips to the emergency room are the result of jumpers colliding with one another, falling on the trampoline springs or frame, falling or jumping off the trampoline, or attempting somersaults and stunts.
In my personal experience, I have seen one death and one resultant quadriplegia from trampoline injuries. As you would demand competent spotters and professional supervision during your child's gymnastic activities, I can't believe you would settle for less with an obviously dangerous piece of equipment. As Chris Reeves learned the hard way, it's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.
