Spine Surgery For Children

Having a baby can be a joyous time, but it can also be a stressful time, especially if during the pregnancy they find complications. One such complication can be a spinal birth defect. These can range from minimal to serious. Whatever the case may be, spine surgery may be in the future for your child.

Sometimes a child born with birth defects may not even need to have surgery. After your child is born, they will likely be assessed. With the assessment you may find out the degree of deformity in your child's spinal area. At the time you might ask for a referral to an orthopedic doctor, so that you can get a clear picture of what might be ahead.

If your child does have a serious condition, you might want to look into a surgeon that specializes in pediatric spine surgery. Even if the surgery will not be necessary until after puberty, you still might be wise to look into it right away, so that you can even have a consultation and exam done on your child in advance.

Your spinal column is an important part of your body. It not only keeps you upright, but it also can affect other systems of the body. If your child's deformity is in an area near a particular organ system, you might be wise to ask for tests to be done in that area. For example, if a problem is in the thoracic area, it could affect the heart. There could be serious issues there that could be missed unless someone was already looking for a problem.

If you knew about the problem before the birth of your baby, more care will likely be taken to make sure nothing is missed in the process of assessment. While you are in the hospital and even after, you are your child's main advocate. For this reason it is a good idea to be aware of all tests and treatments that are being done and to be firm about tests you want to have done.

If you do have some time before a spine surgery is necessary, you likely have the time to research surgeons and find out what one would be the best for your child. It will also give you time to make sure you have the insurance you need so that it will be covered.

If your situation is more urgent, then you will just have to trust the hospital where you are to provide the best help possible. If you feel that you are not in a hospital that can do this, you may want to ask for your child to be transferred to a more suitable one.