Pediatric Prosthetics
Children with Amputations
Advocating for your child with an amputation.
Government protects children with disabilities in 3 ways.
- The Education for all Handicapped children Act 1976
- Part H 1986 amendment
- The American Disabilities Act 1980
The Pediatric Amputee and Issues Attending School.
- Education is key. A meeting with school administration should be set up in advance to discuss:
- Possible issues.
- Understand that the prosthetic device, like anything else is subject to breakage. Contact the family should the limb break realizing however, that it is not a dire emergency.
- Ensure that your child will be able to participate in physical education activities.
- Ensure that your child is not just sitting on the bench watching the other children participate.
- We suggest an orientation with teachers and possibly the amputee student’s classmates.
Parent Support Network
Are you a parent that needs support or information to help a child with limb differences?
Whether you are the parent of a newborn with a congenital limb difference, if your child has recently suffered an amputation or if you are contemplating amputation, talking with fellow parents of an amputee child can be helpful. Discussing what to expect in practical issues from a parent with first hand experience can be very empowering to the parent of a child with limb differences.
Please call The Amputee and Prosthetic Center at 713-747-7647 to be put in touch with other parents that have faced similar circumstances.
A Prosthetic Device Throughout The Years For A Child
For the youngest children that are crawling, if the device interferes with their crawling it should be removed. However, there is definitely a time where between the ages of 8 to 15 months when a child is ready for a prosthetic device. It helps the children stand and it should be utilized. Remember just like children with both legs, they will stand and fall, stand and fall and then eventually learn how to use the prosthetic device. For upper arm amputees, the prosthetic device can be used as early as 4 to 6 months.
Many children prefer to hop as opposed to using their prosthetic device. Keep in mind that years and years of hopping on the sound leg can over time, lead to arthritis and other severe conditions at a later age. Hopping should be discouraged for all amputees. Before technology gave us the means to accommodate children's unique size, strength, and lifestyle characteristics, we regularly saw children refusing to wear their prosthetic arms, or trying to wear arms with substandard design and components. Not wanting to see their children struggling, parents sometimes were unable or unwilling to provide the necessary motivation.
Since children are still developing, their prosthetic systems must be able to grow with them, both physically and functionally. Changes in fitting protocols and components now allow these prosthetic systems to grow with the child. When children enter into adolescence they face the typical challenges as others their age do. Teenager strive to be like their friends and not different and being an amputee can become especially difficult. Often times at this stage, teenagers prefer to have a cosmetic cover on their limb. These cosmetic covers are oftentimes removed in their late teens so that they can "show off" their prosthetic device.
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