Every child should experience going into the bouncy castles at least once, and spend hours on end enjoying themselves; it could be one of the most blissful, gratifying things a kid can experience in their childhood.
But the next time you see on on a birthday party or a public place, you should think twice before allowing your child inside.
These seemingly innocuous bouncy-houses pose serious medical risks.
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Brenda Sanderson, mother to a 10-year-old boy, learned this the hard way when, after attending a birthday party, his son skin’s began breaking out with series of odd sores all over his body.
She brushed it off initially as burns from getting in contact with hot plastic, but as they started oozing pus and grew worse by the day, she decided to consult the doctor.
Bouncy houses: A breeding ground for bacteria
The doctor’s findings revealed that the sores were much worse: the boy had contracted a severe staph infection from playing in the contaminated bounce house that had been poorly cleaned after thousands of sweaty children had played in it.
These bounce houses, which are typically rented out for parties, are routinely inspected for safety, but cleanliness is not a required part of the inspection. Keeping the inflatables sanitised is solely up to the owners.
“It is like a wrestling mat,” the doctor said. “Staph infections come from a gym or something that’s not being washed or cleansed properly will start to attract bacteria.”
If you’re thinking of renting one for your child’s next birthday party, check with the owner about their cleaning procedures to ensure that you are keeping your children safe from encountering these devastating consequences.
If your child suddenly begins to develop strange sores after coming in contact with one of these at a party, seek immediate medical attention.
Staph infection
“Staph infections are caused by staphylococcus bacteria, types of germs commonly found on the skin or in the nose of even healthy individuals,” doctors say. “Most of the time, these bacteria cause no problems or result in relatively minor skin infections.
The signs and symptoms of staph infection vary depending on the area affected, but here are some you should keep in mind:
- Skin infections
- Food poisoning
- Bacteremia (blood poisoning)
- Toxic shock syndrome
- Septic arthritis
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