September is Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month

Spinal Cord Injury Awareness: Prevention Begins with Awareness There are 12,000 new cases of spinal cord injury in the U.S., each year; approximately 10 percent affect children under the age of 16. Shriners Hospitals for Children®, a leader in pediatric spinal cord injury treatment and rehabilitation, provides important educational information for families through the Prevention Begins with Awareness campaign. The pediatric health care system is committed to raising awareness and helping prevent these types of injuries and encourages families, caregivers, community leaders and medical professionals to visit www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/Education/SCIAwareness.aspx to learn more about spinal cord injury prevention and download free educational materials. Here are more facts: At least 30 people sustain a spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis every day in the U.S. Approximately 50 percent of spinal cord injuries occur in the cervical region (neck), affecting the ability to breathe as well as upper and lower body function. The other 50 percent of this type of injury occur to the thoracic region (back), affecting upper and lower body functions. Between 1,500- 2,000 new spinal cord injuries affect children and adolescents each year in the U.S. Some of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries in children and adolescents include motor vehicle accidents, diving accidents, trampolines and falls. Shriners Hospitals for Children was the first health care system in the country to develop spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers specifically for children. The programs available at Shriners Hospitals for Children provide a complete range of services designed to ensure children and teens with spinal cord injuries recover to the greatest extent possible. Learn more at www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/CareAndTreatment/SpinalCord.aspx