AAP News Vol. 13 No. 7 July 1997, p. 2
© 1997 American Academy of Pediatrics
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Spinal cord injury

Stefanie Dell' Aringa

Pediatricians should consider diagnosis when a child has sustained hyperextension, flexion or traction injury, stated researchers, while recounting the death of a 4-year-old who died from a seemingly innocuous fall because of undetected spinal cord injury.

Children are at risk for spinal cord injuries, because a relatively large head rests on a mostly cartilaginous spine. Though symptoms are subtle, spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality usually occurs before 9 years of age.

Such injury should be considered if a child has:

• suffered injuries as a passenger in a motor vehicle accident;

• had a serious fall;

• sustained a sports activity injury diving, cheerleading or wrestling, for example, in which cervical flexion trauma might have occurred;