SAN ANTONIO – A new study in the journal Pediatrics reports a 15-fold increase in the number of bounce house injuries suffered by children between 1995-2010.
The study said that bounce houses account for 5 injuries for every 100,000 kids. Injuries ranged from sprains, strains, broken bones or worse.
"I think more importantly, there's an increased number about one in five of them ends up being an concussion and I think out of all of those concussions are the most worrisome because it affects their mental development and cognitive development," said Dr. Lillian Liao, Pediatric Trauma and Burn Director at University Hospital.
The study estimated there were 64,000 injuries between 1990-2010, but added the number could be even higher because the researchers used a sample of 100 hospitals nationwide. Dr. Liao believes the study, the first of its kind, could be the beginning of new regulations for bounce houses.
"I liken this to the bicycle helmet laws," she said. "At some point in the next five years there will be regulation and rule based on some activist movement for injury prevention in children."
She suggested increasing the age limit of bounce houses to children six and older.
"Their risk for injury increases and they're more likely to have a sprain or concussion and it's usually from other children falling on top of them," said Liao.
By comparison, the injury rate for trampolines in 2009 was about 32 for every 100,000 kids.
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