Infant Amputees

Abstract

Limb-deficient children are more like their physically normal peers than like children with other kinds of physical differences or adult amputees. The therapist working with these children should foster their normal development, and be guided by the child's needs and interests when intervention is necessary. Children who have functional upper extremities can and should lead virtually normal lives. Those who have severe upper limb deficiencies may always be dependent on others for help in certain activities. Prosthetic restoration usually, but not alway, effective in improving the amputee's functional abilities. Prostheses are not actual replacements for real limbs, but usually restore considerable function to the amputee. The amputee is the best judge of whether prosthetic restoration is beneficial to him. In working with limb-deficient children, the author has discovered that for them, less (treatment) is more. The author would also suggest that the practice of minimal intervention has more applications in rehabilitation medicine, and desrves further exploration.