Spinal cord injuries commonly cause permanent injuries or death in children. These injuries are caused by trauma. Children account for only five percent of all spinal cord injuries, but these can have significant impacts on their lives. Currently, no cure exists to repair a damaged spinal cord, so your child may require regular diagnostic testing and rehabilitation services for the rest of his or her life.
If your child sustained a spinal cord injury, contact a child injury attorney at Woods Williford, P.C. today at (888) 340-2440 to learn if you have any options to take legally.
Symptoms of a Spinal Cord Injury
The spinal cord is the tube-like bundle of nerves that runs from the brain stem to the bottom of the spine. It carries sensory information from the body to the brain and motor impulses from the brain to the body.
The symptoms associated with a spinal cord injury vary based on the location and the severity of the injury. After the initial injury, your child may experience spinal shock, which causes a loss of feeling, reflexes, and muscle movements. Injuries high on the spinal cord are generally more severe than injuries located lower.
Spinal cord injuries may be complete or incomplete. A complete injury means that your child has no feeling or movement below the injury. An incomplete injury means that your child still has some feeling or movement below the injury.
Following a spinal cord injury, your child may suffer from paraplegia or tetraplegia/quadriplegia.
Paraplegia is a form of partial paralysis where your child's body function and sensation is impeded from the waist down. This is usually due to damage to the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spinal cord. Your child may experience phantom sensations, problems with bowel function, mood changes, or chronic pain.
Tetraplegia/quadriplegia occurs when your child damages their spinal cord above the first thoracic vertebra or in the cervical vertebrae and has some paralysis in all four limbs. The higher on the spinal cord the injury is located, the more extensive the damage. In the most severe cases, your child may lose the ability to breathe on their own. Most patients use the term quadriplegia, but doctors often use the term tetraplegia, counting the torso as the fifth limb. Both terms refer to the same condition.
Diagnosing and Treating a Spinal Cord Injury
A spinal cord injury is always a medical emergency. If you suspect your child has a spinal cord injury, contact their doctor or 911 immediately.
Your child's doctor will diagnose the spinal cord injury with diagnostic tests and a physical examination. Diagnostic tests may include:
- blood tests,
- X-rays,
- CT scans, or
- an MRI.
The doctor will need a complete medical history from you, including how the injury occurred.
A damaged spinal cord cannot be repaired, but it can be treated. Treatment options include surgery to release pressure from the injured area and corticosteroids to decrease swelling. In severe cases, your child may need a feeding tube or a ventilator.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
Children can sustain spinal cord injuries from various types of trauma. Most often, their neck is bent or compressed. Common situations include:
- Birth injuries
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Diving accidents
- Trampoline accidents
- Sports injuries
- Gunshot or stab wounds
- Child abuse or other violent acts
- Sports injuries
- Falls.
Contact a California Child Spinal Cord Injury Attorney
If your child has a spinal cord injury in California, contact Woods Williford, P.C. for experienced legal representation. Spinal cord injuries are serious and will affect your child for the rest of his or her life. Our team fights for just compensation for their injuries.
Call us today at (888) 340-2440 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.