Bouncy House Injuries Continue To Rise Among Children
LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4)- A little girl missed her 4-year-old birthday party after she was playing inside an inflatable bouncy house and broke two bones. Injuries among children and bouncy houses are on the rise.
Madison O'Leary has had her leg in a cast for four weeks, ever since she broke two bones at her fourth birthday party.
She invited friends to an indoor party center where there are a lot of bouncy houses and play areas.
Within 10 minutes after her party started, Madison slammed into an inflatable wall after taking a trip down an inflatable slide.
"You go there thinking, 'Hey, it's safe, it's fun, it's filled with air. How can my kid get hurt?'" said Madison's mother Jaime O'Leary.
Madison is not alone. A recent study showed that in 2010, 31 children per day were treated in hospital emergency departments for inflatable bouncer-related injuries.
Sports medicine doctor Brooke Pengel said younger children are more likely to get hurt.
She believes only children of similar age and size should play in a bouncer at the same time. Pengel also believes there should be a limit on the number of children allowed inside at one time.
"Seventy-five percent of the injuries are when there's more than one person," said Pengel.
Pengel would like to see more supervision around the inflatable devices.
