TUESDAY, May 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Playgrounds are supposed to be fun. But rusty bars, litter and poorly maintained equipment can make these seemingly kid-friendly zones downright dangerous, according to a group of emergency medicine physicians.
More than 200,000 children are treated in the emergency department each year for playground-related injuries -- a dramatic increase in recent years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
And about 20,000 of those children get treated for a traumatic brain injury, including concussion, every year. Kids can also break a bone, or even develop internal bleeding due to accidents that occur on a playground.
The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) noted, however, many of these injuries are preventable.
"Many playground injuries can be avoided if parents are mindful about the risks, and teach children to obey safety rules," ACEP president, Dr. Rebecca Parker, said in a news release from the organization. "We encourage children to get outside and play to promote a healthier lifestyle, but we want to make sure our children are as safe as possible."
Roughly 75 percent of playground-related injuries occur in public places. In most cases, the playground equipment is at a school or daycare center, research shows. The emergency physicians pointed out that parents, babysitters and other adult supervisors can help keep children safe on playgrounds by doing the following:
More information
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has a public playground safety checklist.