The immature spine is anatomically and biomechanically different from the adult one. This results in unique characteristics of pediatric spinal trauma.

A review of 206 children treated for spinal injury in Pediatric Trauma Center of whom:

a.    57 were infants/toddlers (IT) (ages 0-3 years).

b.    149 were young children (Y) (ages 4-9 years), indicates that:

1.    Motor vehicle collisions are the most common cause of injury in both groups (however 19% of IT patients are non-accidental).

2.    IT patients more often present with upper cervical injury and sustain ligamentous injury more frequently.

3.    Y patients have more compression fractures of the spine.

4.    While neurologic injuries occur in both groups (Y > IT), IT patients more frequently present with complete loss of function or hemiplegia and have a much higher mortality (25%).

Journal of Pediatrics Orthopedics 

A study of the medical data from 990 children during the first two years of life with seizures within 24 hours of administration of an inactivated vaccine or 5-12 days after a live attenuated vaccine indicates that an underlying cause is identifiable in 65% (e.g. genetic-based seizure syndromes or structural defects, etc.) of children. These data should enhance public support of vaccination programs.

Pediatrics 

Low Citrulline levels are a marker of low bowel enterocyte mass, which may be associated with a predisposition to NEC.

A study of 361 babies diagnosed with NEC who had their Critulline levels measured on dried blood samples and compared to 1,083 normal healthy newborns (matched) indicates that dried blood samples Citrulline concentrations are NOT useful in predicting NEC.