Concussion Risks
Jumping up and down on a bed can lead to a brain injury known as a concussion. Concussions may occur when the child accidentally jumps off the mattress and hits his head on the floor, or it could happen while still on the bed if the child comes in contact with a headboard or footboard attached to the ends of the bed. Concussions can lead to various problems depending on their severity and could even be a sign of moderate to severe brain injury. These injuries could lead to amnesia, unconsciousness, coma or death in some cases.
Window Falls
On average, more than 5,100 children in the U.S. fall from windows and sustain injuries each year, according to the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minnesota. One common cause of these falls is kids who jump on the bed near a window and fall through the window and down to the ground. Numbers tend to be higher in the warmer months when families have their windows and doors open day and night.
Fan Blade Injuries
Many bedrooms have a ceiling fan installed above the area where the bed is located. Jumping on the bed while the fan is running can be an additional danger because of the potential for injury from spinning fan blades. Even if the fan is not running, the child runs the risk of hitting his head on a light fixture or other portion of the fan, which could also cause concussion, cuts or burns from a light bulb.
Broken Bones
There is no question than a fall from a bed while jumping on the mattress could lead to a variety of broken bones. A child’s arm, leg or neck could be broken during an awkward fall off the bed. Banging a limb, head or ribs on a headboard or footboard could result in this type of injury.
Damaged Beds
While less severe than physical injury, breaking a bed frame or furniture surrounding the bed can be costly. Jumping on the bed may not damage a bed, especially since children typically have a low body weight, but poor quality bed frames or box springs could be broken during the process.