Amputations
27CHAPTER
227
An amputation is the loss of some part of the body. Rarely, children are born without one
or both hands or feet. More often, children lose an arm or leg because of accidents and
increasingly because of war. Or limbs must be cut off because of advanced bone infections
(see p. 160) or dangerous tumors (cancer).
Deciding what to do for a child with an amputation depends on a number of things,
including the age of the child at the time of amputation, the amount of amputation, and
above all, what the child (and parents) want and accept.
MISSING BOTH
HANDS
(any age)
He will probably
want and
accept hooks,
or whatever
can help him
hold things
better.
MISSING ONE
HAND
If she was born
that way and is
given an artificial
limb early, she
will usually
accept it and
keep using it.
Until he can
get gripping
hooks, figure
out ways to
attach tools
and utensils
to his stumps
so he can do
more for himself.
But if her hand
was amputated
as an older
child or she has
gone for a long
time without
an artificial
limb...
A child with
high arm
amputations
from birth
often learns
to use his
feet almost
as well as
his hands.
. . . she may
prefer to
keep using
the stump,
and refuse
a limb even
if one is
made for her.
AN AMPUTATION
BELOW THE KNEE
(one or both
legs)
He should get
an artificial
leg as soon
after the
amputation as
possible or by
one year of
age.
A growing child
will often need a
new, larger limb.
Therefore, try
to fit him with
low-cost limbs
that are easy to
replace.
Limbs with
detachable
feet, although
often expensive,
can be
lengthened.
ONE LEG
AMPUTATED
ABOVE THE
KNEE
BOTH LEGS
AMPUTATED
ABOVE THE
KNEES
Up to age
10 (or more)
she can walk
well with a
straight leg
(no knee
joint).
When very young,
he may move about
most easily on
short ‘stump’
limbs.
When older, she may
prefer and will often
walk better on a leg
with a knee joint (if
the family or program
can pay for it and can
keep replacing it as
the child grows).
When older, he
may prefer
longer limbs
that make him
as tall as other
children—even
if this means
using crutches.
Children with
very high
amputation of the
legs may do best
in wheelchairs.