Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

School is out for the summer, and that means teens and kids are looking for some entertainment. Unfortunately, some of the more popular summer toys can actually increase your child’s risk of a severe spine injury. Recently, the consumer group World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH) released its 2016 list of the most hazardous summer toys. Today, we take a look at the list and share some tips for protecting your spine this summer.

Trampoline/Inflatable Houses

According to WATCH, inflatable houses and trampolines pose a big threat to your child’s spine health. “From 2003 to 2013, inflatable amusements were responsible for approximately 113,272 injuries and 12 reported deaths.” Additionally, there were an estimated 104,691 trampoline-related injuries in 2014 and 22 trampoline-related deaths between 2000-2009. To prevent trampoline injuries, only allow one child on the trampoline at a time, as it’s easier to lose your balance or be bounced off the trampoline onto your back if another person is jumping at the same time.

Hoverboards

Those self-balancing scooters look pretty cool, but there’s a learning curve to making them move where you want, and you can get tripped up by debris. More than 7,200 people have been admitted to the emergency room because they leaned back too far and the hoverboard slide out from beneath their feet, launching them onto their butt and lower spine. We’d advise staying off these devices, but if you must, wear protective gear.

Pools

Although WATCH is cautioning against pools because of the increased drowning risk, pools can also lead to spine and neck injuries. Oftentimes these injuries occur when a person dives into a shallow end of the pool or if they slip while running alongside the outside of the pool. Pools can be a great way to beat the summer heat, and you’ll stay safe so long as you remember to never dive unless you know you’re in the deep end (and never dive into lakes unless you know the depth) and always walk around the edge of the pool.

Bicycles

Bicycles are similar to swimming pools in that they can be great ways to pass the time in the summer, but you need to follow some basic safety procedures. Even if you’re just biking a few blocks to a friend’s house, you should always wear a helmet to protect your head, neck and spine when biking. You could be the best biker in the world, but if a driver doesn’t see you, you could end up on the pavement, and a helmet could make the difference in walking away or not. Always wear a bike helmet.

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