When I think of a pioneer, I think of someone taking on the unique challenges of uncharted territory and paving the way for future success. By definition, Dr. Andrea Behrman is a pioneer in the field of pediatric spinal cord injury. With nearly three decades of research under her belt, Dr. Behrman has seen a plethora of promising results and is laser-focused on what needs to be done to advance her field.
The unique challenges facing pediatric spinal cord injury patients
Suffering a spinal cord injury as an adult is a complex medical issue that can ultimately impact every area of the patient’s life. However, it becomes immensely more complicated when treating a child for the same injury. Unlike adults and depending on the age of injury, a young child’s mental health typically remains intact. Kids are resilient. They adapt. Dr. Behrman points out that it is often the parents who are mentally traumatized. Every parent has tremendous expectations for the quality of life that their child will enjoy, and all of those can seemingly disappear in an instant.
Caring for a child with a spinal cord injury also presents unique challenges. Young children may not yet have full use of their hands and will need assistance with everything from basic hygiene to using the bathroom with a catheter. Pediatric spinal cord injury patients deal with similar complications to adults such as autonomic dysreflexia, but most children cannot communicate symptoms like headaches or feeling flush. Parents and other caregivers must be constantly vigilant, watching for signs such as ears changing color or the skin developing goosebumps. Scoliosis is another huge problem for spinal cord injured children because their spines are still in development. 100% of children injured under the age of five will develop scoliosis while also having an increased risk of hip dysplasia. Although surgery to correct scoliosis is an option, it’s not a great one because children often end up with less function, easier infections, and a loss of trunk control.
Creating a future filled with hope
If there is one thing I noticed about Dr. Behrman during our conversation, it was her determination. I was inspired by how many times her work has improved the quality of life for her patients just because she was willing to challenge what medical science was saying at the time with groundbreaking research. But her determination isn’t fueled by accomplishments or medical progress for medical progress’ sake. It’s fueled by a desire to bring hope to families wanting to give their children the best life possible despite their injury.
A truly impressive aspect of Dr. Behrman’s work is that she focuses on injury recovery versus building compensation strategies or teaching patients new ways to do things. She’s trying to access the nervous system and use biological principles that may be redundant or available for patients to recover function. Her average result? Six points on a clinical scale of twenty. That may not seem like a lot at first glance, but it’s actually incredibly meaningful for the patient and the parent. Dr. Behrman notes that six points for some parents mean that their child can sit upright in a shopping cart. That’s huge because it means that parents will only have to push one cart around the store instead of managing two. Six points can mean a child is able to pick up and play with toys on their own, allowing parents to focus on other tasks and dramatically increasing the quality of life for the patient. Six points can change a family’s life.