On holiday weekends, clinics go through a real storm. Parents with toddlers come to emergency rooms with various types of injuries – from an ankle sprain to knocked out teeth. It turns out that these are often not the effects of a trip on a mountain trip or going crazy on a camping site, but playing on a trampoline in the backyard garden.
For some time now, trampolines for children have become extremely popular in Poland. If you hear a cheerful children’s squeal from the garden, we can be almost sure that the cause of this joy is a springboard. Both children and adults ensure that jumping is a lot of fun.
Doctors are warning, however, that the number of accidents on the trampoline is increasing.
Who is guilty
Jumping on a trampoline is no more dangerous than riding a bicycle, roller skates or a board. The head of the pediatric surgery ward of the Provincial Hospital in Zielona Góra, Dr. Jan Nowak, says that if the sun shines after a few days of bad weather, twice as many children are brought to the ward with all possible injuries. – We have recently treated several patients with pancreatic rupture caused by an impact to the handlebars of a bicycle. This is a very serious injury that threatens the child’s life, says Dr. Nowak. Pediatric surgeons believe that some of these accidents are difficult to prevent, but in many cases the cause is a lack of parental supervision, which is so often the case with an innocent springboard.
Too tight on the shoe
The most common injuries children experience while playing on the trampoline are muscle strains, sprains, broken limbs, head injuries and wounds. On large trampolines, where children can play for a few minutes for a fee, special harnesses are installed that allow you to keep a safe distance between the participants of the game. Garden trampolines do not have such harness. Meanwhile, being with other people on a trampoline increases the risk of injuries in the lightest person even several times. This mainly happens with synchronized jumping.
In Great Britain, over 11 accidents have been reported after the first year of trampoline frenzy. Eighty percent of those injured were injured because more than two people were jumping on the whip at the same time. Every fifth accident involved a child under the age of five. 80/1 of the children were injured when jumping off the springboard. Springboards are still a kind of novelty in Poland, so there is no hard data on accidents in our country.
Buy wisely
When purchasing a trampoline, special attention should be paid to the quality of the individual components. Important is the diameter of the entire device and the maximum weight it can bear. If we want several children to play on the trampoline, the optimal size will be over 3 meters. Another important element is the height of the folded-out device. The standard distance of the membrane from the ground is usually between 60 cm and more than a meter. Children’s trampolines should not be too high, as this increases the risk of injury when falling off. Safety during jumping on the trampoline is ensured by a safety edge made of a stiff sponge. There is also a need for protective nets mounted on the posts, which should also be secured with a sponge, as a collision with such a post may have unpleasant consequences.
It is also worth paying attention to how the springs are attached to the mat. It would be good if the springs were outside the protective mesh. Otherwise, the space between the springs must be secured so that the child’s leg does not get trapped there.
The innocent symptoms of tumors
Parent at the trampoline
Parents who decide to buy a trampoline are not always aware of the rules of safe use of this device. Many of them don’t even read the operating instructions. Meanwhile, children’s jumps should be supervised by an adult, because children’s creativity knows no bounds. One of the kids came up with the idea to jump onto the membrane from a balcony with a trampoline underneath it.
The main causes of accidents on the trampoline are collisions with other children, falling onto the trampoline frame or onto the springs.
Manufacturers recommend that there should be no more than two people on the trampoline, because then each of them is able to judge where the companion is. The size of the springboard is also important. Much less often it lands on the outskirts. To prevent falling off the trampoline, a safety net must be attached. Girls should remove jewelry, earrings, pendants or bracelets as they may injure jumpers if they fall. One hour before the planned jumps, children should not eat anything because they can return the food. Also, while jumping, eating and chewing gum is forbidden as it may cause choking.
Moving is healthy
Playing on a trampoline is a lot of fun for children, for several hours. Instead of sitting at home in front of the TV set, they spend time outdoors with their peers and parents. In addition, they burn calories, improve the heart and improve circulation. It is an excellent gymnastics for the calf muscles, abs and arms. All the abdominal muscle groups work hard to keep your balance while jumping. Springboard jumping also improves motor coordination and balance. They have a de-stressing and relaxing effect.
People who suffer from imbalance and coordination disorders must avoid playing on the trampoline. Problems with the spine or cervical vertebrae are also contraindications. Also, children with hormonal and mineral disturbances (calcium, phosphorus) that affect the structure of bones and joints and with a high visual impairment should not use such recreational equipment.