Kids & Family

Pediatricians Say Trampolines Unsafe For Kids; Do You Agree?

Do you agree with pediatricians on this subject? Let us know by posting a comment in the comments section below.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is warning parents to keep their kids from using trampolines because of the nearly 100,000 injuries linked to the bouncy mats annually, according to a Reuters Health report on the Chicago Tribune website.

A new statement from the AAP updates recommendations from 1999, which caused manufacturers to add safety features to the products in an attempt to mitigate the risks, according to the site. However, AAP isn't sold the safety features have done what they were intended to do.

"As best we can tell, the addition of safety nets and padding has actually not changed the injuries we have seen," said Dr. Susannah Briskin, a sports medicine specialist who helped draft the new statement, read the report.

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Since 2004 when 111,851 trampoline-related injuries were treated by emergency rooms, according to the report, injuries have seen a decrease to 97,908 in 2009. However, Briskin told Reuters Health that doesn't necessarily mean the devices have become any less dangerous, according to the website.

"Even though there has been a decrease in injuries," she told Reuters, according to the website, "I caution people against taking that too literally because the number of trampolines has also decreased."

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We'd like to know: Do you agree with the American Academy of Pediatrics? Should children not be allowed to use trampolines? Or are trampolines an activity all kids should experience growing up? Let us know where you stand on this issue by posting a comment in the comments section below.

[Editor's note: This post is shared with other Patch sites.]


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