Are children more prone to whiplash injury in a car accident?
Much of the understanding of whiplash injury symptoms and recovery is based on adult drivers and passengers, but the fact that children are often in cars and, therefore, in car accidents means that an understanding of this subset of patients is something worth researching. A 2002 study titled “Whiplash associated disorder in children attending the emergency department” looked at this subject with researchers from hospitals in Salford, Liverpool and Manchester. At the time it was written, it had the largest group of children to study that had yet been examined, and its results differed from earlier understandings. The children involved in the study had been in various types of car accidents, and the fact that nearly 50% of them showed symptoms of whiplash disorders was noted. This was approximately 20% higher than a previous suggestion that these should be expected in 29.5% of children in crashes – indeed, it is higher than the expected incidence of symptoms in adults involved in crashe
