Halo Brace in Children: What to Expect at Home

Make sure your child rests when your child feels tired. Getting enough sleep will help in recovery.

Have your child try to walk each day. Bit by bit, increase the amount your child walks each day. Walking is a gentle exercise and helps prevent pneumonia and constipation. Walking may also decrease muscle soreness.

If advised by your doctor, your child may need to avoid lifting anything that would cause too much strain on the neck. This may include heavy toys or a heavy backpack.

Your child will not be able to do any strenuous activities until the spine heals.

Avoid letting your child ride in a car for long periods of time. If your child must ride in a car for a long distance, stop often to get out and walk. Your child may need to learn how to safely get in and out of cars.

Have your child try to change position about every 30 minutes while sitting or standing. This will help decrease neck and back pain while your child is healing. Your child will need to roll their body and head as a unit when moving from a lying position to a sitting or standing position. Your child may need help walking until they get used to the weight of the brace.

Your child can eat a normal diet. If your child's stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods like plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt.

Have your child drink plenty of fluids (unless your doctor tells you not to).

You may notice that your child's bowel movements are not regular right after surgery. This is common. Try to avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements. You may want to give your child a fiber supplement every day. If your child has not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, give your child a mild laxative.

Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.

• If your child is not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if your child can take an over-the-counter medicine.

• If the doctor gave your child a prescription medicine for pain, give it as prescribed.

• Store your child's prescription pain medicines where no one else can get to them. When you are done using them, dispose of them quickly and safely. Your local pharmacy or hospital may have a drop-off site.

If the doctor prescribed antibiotics for your child, give them as directed. Do not stop using them just because your child feels better. Your child needs to take the full course of antibiotics.

If you think the pain medicine is making your child sick to the stomach:

• Give the medicine after meals (unless your doctor has told you not to).

• Ask your doctor for a different pain medicine.

Gently clean the pins and pin sites daily with a cleaning solution. Use a new swab or piece of gauze for each pin. And use a new swab or piece of gauze to pat each area dry. Make sure you understand how to care for your child's halo brace, the pin sites, and the vest before your child leaves the hospital.

Keep the pin sites clean and dry. You may cover them with a gauze bandage if they ooze fluid. Change the bandages every day.

Your child's vest will also need to be checked to make sure that your child doesn't have any skin problems under it.

Have your child do exercises as instructed by your doctor.

Your doctor may recommend that your child work with a physical therapist to improve the strength and flexibility of the neck and back.

Your child passes out (loses consciousness).

Your child has sudden chest pain and shortness of breath, or coughs up blood.

Your child is unable to move an arm or a leg at all.

Your child has pain that does not get better after taking pain medicine.

Your child has a headache that does not get better after taking medicine for it.

Your child has new or worse symptoms in the arms, legs, chest, belly, or buttocks. Symptoms may include:

• Numbness or tingling.

• Weakness.

• Pain.

Your child loses bladder or bowel control.

You notice that a pin or any part of the brace seems loose or out of place.

Your child has blood or fluid draining from the pin sites.

Your child feels a warm or painful spot under the brace.

Your child has signs of infection, such as:

• Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.

• Red streaks leading from the pin sites.

• Pus draining from the pin sites.

• A fever.

Your child is not getting better as expected.