Gun-Related Spine Injury In Childhood Brings Hardship Later

Sponsored by: Amy G Injury Firm

Spinal cord injuries are devastating regardless of the victim’s age or how they occur. The devastation caused by the injuries goes a notch higher when a child is involved.

New research has also pointed a link between gun-inflicted spinal cord injuries in children with hardships in the victim’s adulthood.

According to Dr. Jessica Pruente, a lead author in the study and an assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s Children’s Hospital, gun-related spine injuries have ramifications beyond physical injuries such as disabilities.

What the Statistics Say

The study published in the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine followed the lives of 45 individuals that suffered spinal cord injuries as children. Of the 45, 25 suffered spinal cord injuries by gun violence, while 20 suffered injuries through normal non-violent accidents. In their study, the researchers found that 90 percent of the participants who had suffered spinal cord injuries through non-violent accidents had a college education. Conversely, only 60 percent of individuals that suffered spine injuries through gun violence had a college education.

The study revealed that 75 percent of participants that had spinal cord injuries through gun violence earned less than $25,000 in a year compared to 26 percent of individuals that suffered injuries through non-violent accidents. Almost 81 percent of all the participants that suffered gun-related injuries were African Americans and Hispanics, with non-violent spinal cord injuries accounting for 15.5 percent for the same group.

Poverty Is a Factor

The high prevalence of gun-related injuries in black and Hispanic children points to insecurity and gun violence problems in African American and Hispanic neighborhoods. The highest driver of crime is poverty. According to Pruente, poverty, discrimination, and limited access to health care are significant factors contributing to a higher likelihood of challenges later in life for people of color. The study does not show that injuries cause hardships in life. However, it points to an evident correlation between the two.

“Treatment for spine injuries can be lengthy and costly, especially when an injured individual does not receive full compensation,” says lawyer Amy Gaiennie of Amy G Injury Firm. “Especially when factors like poverty are present in an injured individual’s recovery, the quality of care a child can access may be limited.”

Solutions to the Problem

According to Dr. Pruente, these factors continue to affect the lives of the victims as they grow older, creating a vicious cycle of poverty. The only way out is by preventing the injuries from happening in the first place. Unfortunately, this solution may not happen overnight and will require a multifaceted approach to deal with the root cause of gun violence among key communities.

Pruente stressed the need for all persons and organizations involved in a child’s wellness to be more aware of these unfortunate outcomes and develop vocational rehab, school modifications, and counseling to help change these statistics.

Surprisingly, despite the differences in access to education and income in the two groups of childhood spinal injury victims, both groups showed a similar level of life satisfaction. According to Pruente, rehabilitative programs offered to victims after their accident could contribute to general life satisfaction among survivors.

Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com