For Ashley, a cautionary tale about trampolines

[Wonderlandmom]

I agree Deb! Thanks for posting your story.
Seems injuries are on the rise:
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/105/108014.htm

Many insurance companies will drop you if you own a trampoline. Risk for your own family, and others that jump on it.

 

[SillyMe]

I've never taken a stance on trampolines either for or against them. I have to say, after reading this, more stories like this should be told to warn of the dangers of trampolines. These stories might make more parents aware of the dangers, than just reading statistics.

How very sad for that little girl and her family.

 

[maciec]

I have a good friend that much to his dismay his wife bought a trampoline for their dd ~ net included. Friend watched his daughter like a hawk while she was bouncing on it the first day because he was so worried. His wife sent him upstairs because she thought that he was being ridiculous. He went upstairs and watched out the window. While he sat and watched his dd did a flip and landed into the net, her front tooth snagged on the net and was ripped completely out taking a lot of tissue with it. It was an awful sight of blood gushing from his dd's 7yoa mouth. He quickly rushed down to her with wife following behind. They were able to save the tooth by putting it into a glass of milk. Luckily their dentist answered their emergency call for help and his father who just happens to be a leading orthodontic surgeon met them at the office and were able to replace the tooth. DD was in agony for weeks.

I know that this isn't the worst story that has ever been told about trampolines, but you can bet I will be included in the Mean Moms of America Club. No way are my kids stepping one foot on one.

 

[WDWMom]

I don't want to turn this into a debate, but the OP asked a question and you gave a totally unasked for answer and that is why I commented. It had nothing to do with them topic.

 

[disneymom3]

Ugh. I have never let my kids jump on trampolines but we have been going to a small group meeting at a friend's house and they have a tramp with a net and I have let them go on it the last two weeks, not totally feeling at ease, but feeling a little better because of the net. Crimeny. I am going to have to be an even meaner mommy than I usually am, now. Our pediatrician told us long ago that she was strongly against trampolines. They are like wheeled baby walkers, so darn dangerous and people keep buying them.

 

[Virgo10]

My quest is to outlaw latex balloons. I worked with a 10 year old who aspirated one. This beautiful boy was doomed to a life of seizures, tube feedings and immobility all because of a balloon. Every time I see one handed out at a store or whatever, I want to scream.

The Dangers of Balloons

 

[DVC-Don]

Way to go Deb! I volunteered on our local ambulance for years, and some of those trampoline injuries were nasty looking.

 

[AmyJ of Ca]

I had no strong opinions about trampolines until a month ago my neighbor was on another neighbor's trampoline and was simply jumping for excercise and jumped wrong and broke both the bones in her lower leg. My kids had just got off and I was watching and it happened in the blink of an eye. She has now been on disability for a month and can barely get around as she can't put any weight on that leg. Needless to say, my kids can no longer jump. Amy

 

[imsorry]

Thanks for opening some eyes. I fail to see how having an adult standing by makes it any safer - you cannot stand ALL AROUND the whole trampoline at once. Things happen so fast, the odds are you will not be in a position to catch a child that falls off. When we were young, my mother would not even allow us to have bicycles because she was afraid we would fall and hit our heads (this was before helmet laws).

 

[bajanswife]

How sad!

I also think it's important not to put any playground equipment close to anything concrete, stone or brick. There's lots of different warnings in this tragedy.

ITA! We are very careful where we put any equipment that kids can fall off of (swings, climbers etc.).

Deb's trampoline story is heartbreaking, but maybe the outcome of that girl's fall might have been less tragic if the trampoline wasn't near a rock garden?! Yes, trampolines CAN be dangerous, as can a lot of other things.

BTW Deb...... I do admire your commitment to the promise you made those parents. I know your opinion is not popular with many, but you're doing what you feel you need to, for the right reasons.

 

[grlpwrd]

Thank you, Dr. Deb, for putting kids' safety first before all else, including being polite. That is what I teach my kids, too....Safety first. I think my 4 older kids are the handful of kids in our neighborhood who don't have a trampoline and who wear helmets and other protective gear.

I used to work as a student at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and trauma is not pretty.

I am quite surprised by that thread as this is a family-oriented board that should put our kids first... As stated in first blinkie below in my signature: Protect our children!

 

[sweet angel]

I don't like trampolines and would not let my son on them (a friend of his shattered her leg on one). However, to each his own.

 

[tiggersmom2]

My children will never jump on a trampoline if I can help it.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Thanks for opening some eyes. I fail to see how having an adult standing by makes it any safer - you cannot stand ALL AROUND the whole trampoline at once. Things happen so fast, the odds are you will not be in a position to catch a child that falls off. When we were young, my mother would not even allow us to have bicycles because she was afraid we would fall and hit our heads (this was before helmet laws).

Back in Jr. High in the 70's, we were jumping on the big old funky trampoline in gym class, and i went head first thru the springs directly in front of the gym teacher who was "spotting" that side! I wasn't hurt, but I agree that there isn't much someone could do. I guess he could have shoved me the other way!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I am also one of the unpopular moms in the neighborhood...there is no way!! We always get the rolled eyes when we go to BIL's house and tell DD "no you can't go on the trampoline" - well, their DD just fell off and broke her ankle in three places!!! What gets me is when - given this kind of accident - people KEEP the trampoline!?

It is NOT just about falling off - BIL had a net and it didn't help. Also, it is very much about landing the wrong way - major harm can be done just by landing the wrong way on your back, neck,etc. Nets should not give anyone (foolish enough to buy a trampoline) any sense of security.

Why do people think that pediatricians and other health care providers have come out against these - and that they tell people to never get one or allow children on them - why do they think they have been taken out of the gym classes?

My DD has just started a gymnastics class and I am concerned whether or not she should be allowed on it there!? IS it possible to be given proper instruction and to be supervised properly!?

also, I agree with the latex balloons - I followed the recommendations to keep them away from babies and toddlers - but I didn't think they would still be harmful at 10!!! Why bother with them - the mylar is so much nicer!!!

 

[SillyMe]

My DD has just started a gymnastics class and I am concerned whether or not she should be allowed on it there!? IS it possible to be given proper instruction and to be supervised properly!?

I was just questioning myself about that. My dd6 is in gymnastics class also.

 

[txaggiemomof3]

Thank you, Dr. Deb, for putting kids' safety first before all else, including being polite. That is what I teach my kids, too....Safety first. I think my 4 older kids are the handful of kids in our neighborhood who don't have a trampoline and who wear helmets and other protective gear.

This is OT, but it's the same in my neighborhood. I can't tell you how many kids in my neighborhood don't wear bike helmets. I don't get it

 

[Disney1fan2002]

My BIL and I would actually go at it with each other about stuff like this. His twins were crazy when they were little. Daredevils. I would alwats tell at them to put their helmets on riding their bikes, and my BIL would get mad and tell me how we managed to survive childhood without all these safety precautions. (I guess he didn't realize we were the lucky ones).

My niece got hit by a car and was thrown 50 ft and landed on her head on the pavement. She was in a coma for 2 weeks, and we didn't even know if she would even wake up, let alone what we would be left with if she did. the trauma to her brain was horrendous. the Doctors could not tell us much, because it would be giving us hope in what they felt was a losing battle. By the Amazing Grace of God, she did wake up, and she is a normal 17 year old today. the Dr's were astounded at her recovery. It just didn't happen to someone with a head trauma as bad as hers was.

needless to say, my niece was still in the hospital when the trampoline came down, the boys got helmets, and from that day, they better of made sure the helmets were on their heads or my BIL would hit the roof.

Accident or not, if Ashely were YOUR child, it would not be called an accident. You would beat yourself up with guilt for years afterwards.

 

[HoneyPooh]

I'm not a fan of tramps and my children were never allowed on them but Deb hijacked someones thread very deliberately and not very nicely. Talk about sports teams on an appropriate thread and possibly a simply worded opinion on trampolines (or a link to the stats) would have been sufficient. Not well done and I would like to think that someone in Deb's profession would know better how to get the information accross without making someone defensive. I don't even like tramps and agree with Deb's viewpoint, but the little hairs on my neck went up for the OP. You can be polite AND get the info out there. As my mom would have said "Try the feather before you try the brick", you never know, it might have worked.

There are some really sad stories out there about injuries/deaths of children aren't there? Every day I cry over at least one story in the newspaper or on the news. So many of them seem to be preventable. Makes me feel very blessed that my kids only have the minor problems that they have.

BTW, my best friend had a tramp and her insurance company was going to drop her unless she dismantled the tramp and showed picture proof of it being removed entirely from her property!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

BTW, my best friend had a tramp and her insurance company was going to drop her unless she dismantled the tramp and showed picture proof of it being removed entirely from her property!

Same here. My homeowners policy will not allow trampolines or any slides or diving boards on any pools we amy have installed.

Hmmm, I wonder why that is?