The medical community is divided on the safety of using ball equipment at playgrounds in which kids are allowed to play.
“Ball equipment can be a lifesaver for children,” Dr. David Wessels, medical director for pediatric neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News.
“When you are using it in a playground, it can save the life of a child or two.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 2.6 million children under age 5 play in playgrounds nationwide.
Ball equipment has been widely used in the playgrounds since it was invented in the 1800s, but it is now banned in many U.S. parks due to concerns about the dangers of bouncing.
The CDC recommends that ball equipment be kept away from children because of the possibility of injury or infection.
“In my opinion, ball equipment should not be used in any play area unless there are no other safety considerations,” said Dr. Steven A. Himmelberg, chief of pediatric neurologic at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“The safest thing is to keep it away from kids.”
Himmler said he would not recommend ball equipment for kids under age six because it is too dangerous for children under 5 to play with it.
“For children under 6, it is not safe,” Himmelsaid.
“They should not use the equipment.”
Some of the most common concerns regarding ball equipment are: bouncing: Ball equipment can bounce, and this can cause injuries and even death.
It is also not recommended for children aged 4 to 6.
This is because the ball can become lodged in their bodies and they can have a serious condition such as cerebral palsy or a stroke.
Himmsing told ABC that he does not recommend playing with ball equipment that is not properly secured.
“You have to be careful to secure it,” Himsing said.
“If you don’t secure it properly, it will bounce.”
Ball equipment also can fall into children’s hands.
This can cause injury and can cause the child to lose consciousness.
The ball can fall from the top of the slide, or when it hits a child’s head, or the ball may fall on them and cause a concussion.
This has been reported in children aged 1 to 6 in Florida and Ohio.
In addition, the ball has been known to fall on children.
In 2011, a Florida mother reported that her 6-year-old daughter was injured by a ball at a Florida park when she slipped and fell on it.
Ball injury: Ball injury can occur when children throw the ball at other people.
Himmersing said that it is important for parents to be aware of the ball safety.
“Be aware of it,” he said.
He also said that kids should avoid balls that are too large, too heavy, or too hard.
If you are playing with a ball that is too heavy or too large for your child, he said, you should put a little bit of weight on it and let him or her play with the ball.
He said that you should not throw the balls at kids.
“It’s not safe for children, but that’s the way it works,” he told ABC.
“So, don’t try to put a lot of weight or pressure on it.”
Dr. Robert A. G. Anderson, a pediatric neurologist at the Medical College of Georgia, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was concerned that children were not properly using ball balls because of safety concerns.
“I have a son who has a mild cerebral palsys disorder and a very long arm,” Anderson said.
Anderson said that a child with a brain injury can have trouble holding a ball, and that they should not play with balls that have been broken.
“There are no balls that will be safe for a child who has an arm injury,” he added.
Dr. Bruce M. Dennison, a neurosurgeon at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told The New York Times that he did not think that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) or the American Association of Pediatricians (AAPS) recommends throwing balls in playground areas.
“My concern is that some children with mild cerebral deficits may not be aware that the equipment has to be secured,” Dennisons said.
In fact, in a study published in 2014 in Pediatrics, researchers at Johns Hopkins and AAPS found that some parents were unaware that ball-laced slides could cause injury or death in children.
“Many parents, myself included, were not aware that a ball-shaped slide can cause serious injury or even death,” Dannison told ABCNews.com.
“Parents, and especially children, are often not aware of how important it is to have a secure playground and that a safe playground is important to all children.”
In 2016, a mother in Colorado reported that she and her 10-year old daughter had a “very severe concussion” after throwing a