Parents need to stay OFF this playground equipment or risk endangering their child

Parents need to realise the dangers involved with climbing on to the slide with children in their lap.

An American study found that 352,698 children under the age of six were injured on slides in the US between 2002 and 2015, reports Birmingham Mail.

Toddlers aged one and two had the highest casualty rate, and the most common type of injury was a fracture usually involving the lower leg.

Adults carrying children were largely to blame for the injuries, said the scientists.

Study leader Dr Charles Jennissen, from the University of Iowa, said: “Many parents and caregivers go down a slide with a young child on their lap without giving it a second thought.

“And in most cases I have seen, the parents had no idea that doing so could possibly give their child such a significant injury. They often say they would never have done it had they known.”

Fractures commonly occurred when a child sitting on an adult’s lap got a foot caught on the edge or bottom of the slide. The limb twists, bends backwards and breaks.

Because of the greater weight, the force generated by the forward momentum of an adult with a child reaches a point where bones can easily be broken.

A small child sliding alone is unlikely to suffer severe injury even if his or her foot catches, said the researchers who presented their findings at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference in Chicago.

In Australia injuries are the number one cause of death in children under 17, finds a national study of nearly 700,000 hospitalisations over the past 10 years.

Each year about 149 children die and 680,000 children aged 16 and younger are hospitalised from injuries. (Full study here)

Falls from playground equipment – which account for about a third of all hospitalisation – led to over 55,000 children hospitalised over the 10 years between 2002-2012. Fractures (41.9%) were the most common type of injury.

Have you suffered an injury at the playground?

Share your comments below

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15 Comments

- - ashna9 said
  - 31 Oct 2017
    7:40 pm
Thanks for the warning.

- - BellaB said
  - 11 Oct 2017
    1:25 pm
Most people who do this would think they’re keeping their child safer.

- - mom19782016 said
  - 08 Oct 2017
    8:16 pm
Ouch, thanks for posting, I hadn’t ever really given it much thought.

- - hopefullyheidi said
  - 25 Sep 2017
    12:04 am
Wow. This is something I hadn’t thought about. Such alarming statistics and it totally makes sense. I can’t believe some of the materials they use at the bottom of slides they can be very harsh if you land on them heavily as an adult and you have to be very mindful of the thickness of clothes you are wearing.

- - mom94125 said
  - 22 Sep 2017
    12:52 pm
this is incredible to read as many play centres will actually recommend that you help your child down the big slides so this is amazing to hear that this act will encourage accidents.

- - nadine_hill said
  - 20 Sep 2017
    10:10 am
It obviously seems that most people think sliding down with their child is the safer option – a great article to raise awareness of the dangers!

- - Ellen said
  - 20 Sep 2017
    7:41 am
Wow, so many injuries !
Good to be aware of the dangers.
No, my kids never got injured so far at the playground.

- - mom112217 said
  - 19 Sep 2017
    6:48 pm
A good article we all need to think about.

- - cherz said
  - 19 Sep 2017
    3:26 pm
Very interesting read thanks.
My son broke is nose on the school monkey bars ..apparently he fell and landed on the metal part that you stand on when you start and finish. He was a mess and covered in blood.
- mom93821 replied
  
  20 Sep 2017 , 6:56 am
  Ouch! that would have been so painful – hope he recovered well without the need for lots of surgery.
  - mom90758 replied
    
    20 Sep 2017 , 2:50 pm
    
    Poor little one. What a dreadful experience!!
- - nealsq said
  - 19 Sep 2017
    2:30 pm
had never thought of that!

- - mom206279 said
  - 19 Sep 2017
    2:22 pm
My big butt wouldn’t fit on a kids slide so never really been an issue for me.

- - mom93821 said
  - 19 Sep 2017
    1:21 pm
Only minor bumps and scrapes on the playground from normal playground play.

- - mom90758 said
  - 19 Sep 2017
    1:03 pm
So many injuries! Better that parents avoid sliding down with their kids indeed!!