In recent years more and more parents have been renting bounce houses or having their child’s birthday or other party at an amusement facility where there are bounce houses. Children in Miami generally love these bounce houses, and certainly use up a lot of energy. But the reckless abandon that kids embrace all too often lead to injury. Current statistics indicated that an injury occurs in a bounce house once every 46 minutes, and many of those injuries can be serious such a spinal or brain injuries.
While it would be natural to advise parents and caregivers to follow established safety protocol when using these houses, the simple truth is there really aren’t firm guidelines in place. The high rate of bounce house accidents is giving many pediatricians and other medical experts a case of déjà vu, because it was only a few years ago when in home trampolines were causing similar concerns.
Injury by inflatable bouncers is nothing new, the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database reported nearly 65,000 inflatable bouncer injuries between 1990 and 2010. The finding also identified a sharp increase in the injuries, with injuries occurring twice as often between 2008 – 2010.
While experts look to develop reasonable safety guidelines, the brunt of the responsibility for keeping a child safe lies with parents and their own common sense. Since studies show more injuries happen to younger children, and when children collide into one another, it is recommended that children under 6 years old not be allowed inside bounce houses. It is also preferred that only one child play in the house at a time. In cases where a second child does enter the house, both children should be close to the same age and size.
Chances are, the popularity of bounce houses is not going to deflate any time soon. It’s important to explain the dangers to both children that go in the houses, and the parents responsible for supervision.
Source: CBS News, “Bounce houses injure a U.S. child every 46 minutes, study finds,” Ryan Jaslow, Nov. 26, 2012