Study: Inflatable bounce house injuries are on the rise

A recent study has reportedly found that the number of injuries suffered by children as a result of playing on inflatable bounce houses and similar structures is 15 times higher in 2010 than it was in 1995. The reason for the increase in child injury is simple: more children are playing on bounce houses today than they did in previous years. That does not mean, however, that there is nothing that can be done to reverse the trend.

The study was completed using information from 100 emergency rooms that was previously collected into a database of injuries caused by or related to consumer products. Researchers found that 11,311 children were brought to emergency rooms for bounce house-related injuries in 2010, a significant increase from the 702 kids that suffered such injuries in 1995.

Sprains and broken bones made up about 25 percent of those injuries, making them the most common reasons for the emergency room visits, with bruises, cuts and concussions accounting for the remainder of the injuries. Approximately half of the injured kids were between the ages of six and 12. One-third of the children were under the age of five, and the remainder of the kids were between 13 and 17.

The researchers said that their study results did not mean that parents needed to forbid bounce houses entirely. Instead, they should limit the number of kids using a bounce house at one time and only allow children aged six and older to bounce. In addition, a parent should always be present when kids are jumping in bounce houses.

Source: Reuters, “Bounce house-related injuries on the rise in U.S.,” Andrew M. Seaman, Nov. 26, 2012