With summer in full swing, there are more than a few parties that have bouncy castles and bounce slides. But along with the fun for kids, there is a hidden danger you might not expect. Mom Brenda Sanderson discovered this when one of her sons attended a party.
He played in the bouncy house and had a lot of fun, but 2 days later he developed odd looking marks on his skin. The sores began to spread, enough to be a concern to Brenda who took him to the doctors. Doctors weren’t sure what the marks were at first, but when she told them that her son had been in a bouncy house, the doctor told her it was a staph infection.
Like a wrestling mats, bouncy castles (which are often rented for parties) can carry a lot of bacteria on the surface. All it takes is a bit of the bacteria to get into an open cut and the result can be a painful skin infection.
Unfortunately, although one would hope that owners of these inflatable devices would follow manufacturer recommendations to wash the surfaces down after each use, not everyone necessarily does it thoroughly.
Brenda told Fox25 News that if she were to ever let her son play in one again, she would make sure it’s disinfected properly before letting the kids play in it. The Doctors discussed the incident on YouTube, and what parents should watch out for.
I’ve heard of this before in ball pits, but not bouncy castles so this is good to know!
Although the likelihood of your child getting a staph infection from a bouncy castle is rare, a recent study found that the inflatable bouncers are sending many children to ERs around the the U.S., causing 200 child injuries each week.
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