Pediatric Neurosurgery for Birth Injuries

Pediatric neurosurgery deals with birth injuries that affect the nervous system, spine, or head. These procedures are performed by pediatric neurosurgeons, who have additional training in diagnosing and treating pediatric neurosurgical diseases.

Pediatric neurosurgeons also have:

• A minimum of four years of medical school
• At least five years of residency in neurological surgery
• One year of surgical internship
• Certifications from the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery and the American Board of Neurological Surgery

Children diagnosed with nervous system disorders often require ongoing treatment and observation up to their teenage years.

How pediatric neurosurgery treats birth injuries

Some of the birth injuries pediatric neurosurgeons help to diagnose, treat, and manage include:

• Spine deformities
• Head deformities
• Gait abnormalities
• Injuries that affect a child's nerves, spine, or brain
• Birth injuries that affect the function of the limbs
• Cerebral palsy
• Brachial plexus injuries

Let us take a closer look at some of these birth injuries and how pediatric neurosurgery addresses them:

1. Cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is a group of motor disorders that affect a person's ability to maintain posture, stay balanced, or move around. It is caused by damage to the developing brain or abnormal brain development.

Cerebral palsy symptoms vary for each patient. Patients with severe cases might not be able to walk or need to use specialized equipment. Patients with milder cases might walk awkwardly but not need any equipment. Cerebral palsy typically does not worsen over the years, but its symptoms can change.

Some of the treatments a pediatric neurosurgeon might recommend for patients with cerebral palsy include:

• Baclofen pump: This involves injecting a muscle relaxant into the patient's cerebrospinal fluid. The procedure is typically more effective at managing muscle spasms and stiffness than orally taken baclofen
• Selective dorsal rhizotomy: This procedure is also performed to reduce muscle stiffness and spasms by cutting off some of the nerves that carry the sensation to the spinal cord

2. Brachial plexus injuries

The brachial plexus is a collection of nerves that transmit signals from the spinal cord to the hand, arm, and shoulder. These nerves can be damaged by being compressed, stretched, or ripped apart from the spinal cord.

Minor brachial plexus injuries typically occur during contact sports, and babies can develop them during birth. Severe brachial plexus injuries can lead to an arm being paralyzed, but surgical treatments might be able to restore its function. Some treatments used to address brachial plexus injuries include nerve repair, nerve decompression, nerve transfer, nerve graft, and muscle transfers.

3. Brain injuries

Children can develop traumatic brain injuries at birth due to jolts, blows, or bumps during delivery. Brain injuries are the top cause of disabilities and death in children, especially around birth to age four.

Treatment for such brain injuries starts with a pediatric neurosurgeon assessing the child's neurological status and function while catering to their medical needs to improve their brain function, hearing, speech, and fine motor function. Surgical treatments are typically recommended as a last resort when other treatment options have failed.

We're here to help

Give us a call or stop by our Laguna Niguel clinic if your child was injured during birth to set up an appointment with our pediatric neurosurgeon.

Request an appointment here: https://www.drloudonpediatricneurosurgery.com or call Dr. William G. Loudon, Pediatric Neurosurgery at (714) 677-9463 for an appointment in our Laguna Niguel office.

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