During the warmer months, the use of trampolines is more frequent and as a result children are more likely to be hospitalized with related injuries, especially after bouncing with adults at the same time, according to doctors' warnings.

In a letter to this week's BMJ, Dr. Andrew Bogacz and his colleagues at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in Dunndee, evaluated and compared during a six week period, fifty trampoline related accidental cases, with the safety guidelines of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

Their results concluded that the greater the number of people using the trampoline at the same time, the more possibilities of getting injured. The lightest or smallest person has five times more chances to get wounded.

Dr. Bogacz explained that a 20kg child can experience the energy corresponding to a 3.5 m fall when bouncing with an adult of 80kg, therefore concluding that the severity of the injury grows significantly with the difference between child and adult weights.

Adult supervision is also critical in avoiding trampoline injuries, they explain … "to ensure safety guidelines are followed, exuberance is controlled, and help is provided with setting up and dismounting from the trampoline."

They also conclude that alcohol and trampolines do not mix. During summer garden parties, many children have been hurt while being supervised or bouncing with adults, but they were under the influence of alcoholic beverages, making them less responsible of their actions. "Adults, please note that lager, wine, and trampolines do not mix."

"Trampoline injuries"
Andrew Bogacz, speciality registrar, department of emergency medicine, Brodie Paterson, consultant, department of emergency medicine, Adarsh Babber, speciality registrar, department of surgery, Simon Menelaws, medical student, Dundee, Tim Drew, lecturer, institute of motion research and analysis
BMJ 2009; 338:b2197

Stephanie Brunner (B.A.)