Almost all children enjoy bounce houses, moon walkers, slides or obstacle courses. However, according to a new study, injuries related to inflatable bouncers in the country have shot up significantly over the past few years.
Researchers from Nationwide Children's Hospital found a 15-fold increase in the number of inflatable bouncer-related injuries between 1995 and 2010 among children below 18 years.
According to them, more than 30 children per day (one child every 45 minutes) have been rushed to emergency departments after getting injured on inflatable bouncers. Fractures (28 percent) and strains or sprains (27 percent) were found to be the most common types of injuries. Highlighting the hidden risks associated with the stunts and falls, about one in five children (19 percent) reported head and neck injuries.
Inflatable bouncers kept at homes (38 percent) or recreational settings (44 percent) were found to pose the most risk.
"The findings from this study show that there has been an alarming increase in the number of injuries from inflatable bouncers," Gary A. Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital, said in a news release. "It is time for us to take action to prevent these injuries. Ensuring that parents are aware of the potential risks, improving surveillance of the injuries, developing national safety guidelines and improving bouncer design are the first steps."
Earlier this year, a similar safety concern was raised after a report published in the journal Pediatrics, found nearly 100,000 injuries associated with trampoline among children. While guidelines to ensure safety on trampoline exist, inflatable bouncers do not have any such guidelines.
"The medical and public health community has yet to provide recommendations on the safe use of inflatable bouncers," said Dr. Smith, also a professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. "The growing epidemic of inflatable bouncer injuries make it clear that it is time to do so."
The study is published online in the journal Pediatrics.
