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Kids Hurt Too
Even when a car accident looks “minor,” a child’s growing body can hide injuries for days, weeks, months, or years. Over the last several weeks we have seen multiple patients bring their kids in who initially seemed okay at the scene but later had problems show up. At Chambers Medical Group, one of the highest rated car accident medical doctor care teams in Kentucky, we see a myriad of ages and want everyone to understand that kids hurt too. Dr. Aaron Workman of Chambers Medical Group discusses different areas to watch out for when children are involved in a motor vehicle accident (MVA).
- Growth-Plate Stress
Bones grow from a soft area near the end called a growth plate. A sudden jolt can cause damage to these plates, without breaking the bone. Parents may go for weeks and not notice a problem until the child starts to limp or stops using an arm/shoulder/hand. If your child had an X-ray that was normal, it is still possible a follow up may be required for more imaging.
- Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
A concussion can arise even if the child’s head was not “bumped.” A child’s brain tissue contains more water than an adult making it softer. That softness, paired with the forces from an MVA, means a child can end up with a concussion just from a whiplash type of injury. These symptoms can take time to show up and may appear as trouble focusing on schoolwork, moodiness, headaches, sleeping too much or too little. One recent young patient bounced around on a bus and likely had two quick jolts to the head. Concussions can happen fast.
- Seat-Belt Bruising
Kids can get the seat belt markings around areas of restraint, so it is important to check those areas for bruising. For a child, the initial adrenaline may mask their pain, but eventually they may say something like, “their stomach hurts.” A quick check can avoid this surprise and get them seen before any serious issue arises.
- Neck and Back Strain
Whiplash in kids often hurts between the shoulder blades or base of the neck. They might turn their whole body to look sideways instead of just the head. They may say something just “feels weird” since they do not have enough experience with pain to describe it. This may show up as slouching or tilting the head differently following an MVA.
- Behavioral Changes
Young children may not have the words for fear or pain. A child might suddenly refuse to get into the car or make excuses to avoid going anywhere. Parents should also watch for signs of emotional stress, such as increased irritability, withdrawing from activities, or having nightmares. These are all symptoms of stress following an MVA that a parent can miss.
When in doubt, get checked out. I have a young patient in her early 20’s that just had a follow up for an MVA and we went over some of her advanced imaging findings. She already had moderate degeneration in three of her vertebrae in an unusual area and questioned if this was from the accident. It was not, and we proceeded to discuss how long it takes degeneration to show up on film. I let her know that this degeneration likely started over a decade ago, probably around age of 5-8 years old. After some thought, she proceeded to tell me about getting hit by a car when she was 6 years old and her parents thought she was okay. Unfortunately, those minor problems early on can lead to early degeneration that becomes a weak spot in your body. This spot will likely hurt more the next time she has trauma in that area.
If your child has been involved in an accident, the time to get checked is today. Find a Chambers Medical Group near you.
— This article is written by Aaron Workman, DC, one of the members of Chambers Medical Group’s team of car accident chiropractors who offer a variety of treatments and therapies ranging from diagnostic testing to various soft tissue therapies for car accidents and injuries in Kentucky.
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