Study Finds Small Trampolines a Child Hazard

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Small, one-person trampolines intended for exercise are not toys and children should not be allowed to play on them because of the risk of injury, according to a study published on Tuesday.

Researchers at Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, made the recommendation after reviewing U.S. government injury statistics for both full-sized and mini-trampolines from 1990 to 2002.

They found that in general, both large and small trampolines can injure children. The injuries involving the smaller trampolines -- mainly head lacerations -- are less likely to result in trips to the hospital.

Thirty-two percent of the injuries that occurred on the small trampolines involved children younger than 6, compared to 19 percent in that age group on the larger versions, the report found.

The study was published in Pediatrics, the monthly journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. That group is already on record as recommending that children not be allowed to use backyard trampolines and that the sale of trampolines for private recreational use be halted.

Tuesday's report said those recommendations were based almost entirely on experience with full-sized trampolines, so there has been a question of whether the smaller ones deserve the same precautions.

"The findings of our study provide a response," the report said. "Trampolines, including mini-trampolines, should be regarded as training devices and not as toys... we recommend against the use of the mini-trampoline as a play device by children in the home."