| Children are at risk everyday. They are the most | | | | vertebral, spinal cord and intra-abdominal injuries. He |
| vulnerable in cases of sickness, calamities, accidents | | | | also suggested that ideal treatment of possible |
| and other dangers. | | | | spinal-cord injury should begin at the accident scene |
| Due to their tender years and lack of understanding | | | | with proper stabilization and transportation of the |
| towards certain dangers, children are the most | | | | victims. Otherwise, it can cause more injury to the |
| susceptible to injuries or death especially in car | | | | body tissue. |
| accidents. | | | | Sherwood's Research |
| The National Center for Health Statistics reveals that | | | | Chris Sherwood is a research scientist in the Center |
| car crashes are the leading cause of death for | | | | for Applied Biomechanics at the University of Virginia. |
| children between 2 to 14 years old. In fact in 2003 | | | | He conducted a study on what happens to children in |
| alone, there are 2,136 children aged 2-14 who died in | | | | car crashes. |
| car accidents in the United States. And about | | | | In cooperation with University's School of Engineering |
| 220,000 children in the same age group who suffered | | | | and Applied Science and its School of Medicine, he |
| injuries while riding in cars involved in accidents. | | | | conducted a series of experiments using crash |
| This alarming and increasing numbers have prompted | | | | dummies that simulate 1 year old and 3 year old |
| some researchers to study the causes of child injury | | | | children. |
| during car accidents and the steps on how to avoid | | | | Crash experiments involving the dummies which are |
| them. | | | | strapped into various car seats and sent on a "sled" |
| Grewal's Report | | | | that shoots along a 66-foot-long track at 30 miles |
| Harsh Grewal, M.D. is a pediatric surgeon at Temple | | | | per hour until it slams into a barrier, are performed. |
| University School of Medicine and Hospital. Together | | | | The dummies' displaced bodies at the moment of |
| with his colleagues, they have reviewed 10 years' | | | | impact are captured on high-speed video. The force |
| worth of medical literature on motor vehicle accidents | | | | of impact on different parts of the dummies' bodies |
| and children. | | | | is also recorded by attached sensors and transmitted |
| Their study revealed that children involved in car | | | | to a nearby computer for data storage and analysis. |
| accidents who were inappropriately seat belted were | | | | By doing this, the effectiveness of different |
| at higher risk for "seat-belt syndrome", a complex of | | | | child-restraint design components and orientations is |
| injuries to the spine and abdomen. | | | | examined. These restraint systems include rear-facing |
| As a result, when bruising or seat belt marks are | | | | infants' seats, forward-facing children's seats, |
| seen in pediatric car accident victims, health care | | | | children's booster seats and adult shoulder-belt |
| professionals should be wary of more serious injuries | | | | systems for older children. The knowledge they have |
| such as spinal cord injury, abdominal and/or spine | | | | gained will eventually enable manufacturers to make |
| tenderness and neurological deficits. | | | | safer cars. |
| In fact, car accidents being the most common cause | | | | For more information on issues regarding automobile |
| of injury and death in children are also the most | | | | accidents such as child injury, you can consult with |
| common cause of spinal cord injury. Boys are more | | | | our expert Los Angeles personal injury lawyers. You |
| prone than girls, and the incidence increases with age. | | | | can log on to our website to avail of our free case |
| Grewal recommends that an evaluation of a child | | | | analysis. |
| car-accident victim includes a complete work-up for | | | | |