Are home trampolines safe?

Trampolines are becoming more popular in homes, both indoors and outdoors. But using trampolines can cause serious injuries in children and youth.

Can my child be injured on a trampoline?

Using a trampoline is very risky for children and youth.

Injuries from trampolines have been on the rise. Children have suffered broken bones, sprains and strains, head injuries, and cuts and bruises. Some broken bones need operations and hospital stays to fix them. In rare cases, injuries to the neck or back can cause paralysis or death. Most injuries occur in children between 5 and 14 years of age.

Is there a safe way to use a trampoline at home?

Using a trampoline at home is not a safe way for children and youth to play.

Injuries can happen even when adults are supervising, and even when there are safety enclosures around the trampoline.

Many injuries happen when there is more than one child on the trampoline at the same time, when children are doing ‘tricks’ such as flips or somersaults, or when children fall on the mat or off the trampoline.

For all these reasons, the Canadian Paediatric Society recommend that:

• Parents should not buy trampolines to use at home;

• Trampolines should not be used by children at home for play;

• Trampolines should not be considered play equipment; and

• Trampolines should not be part of outdoor playgrounds.

For more information

“Trampolines at home and at playgrounds”, a joint position statement developed by the Canadian Paediatric Society Injury Prevention Committee and Healthy Active Living Committee and the Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine, is available at <www.cps.ca/english/publications/StatementsIndex.htm>.