Opinion/Feedback

Congenital agenesis and acquired amputations of upper limb in children are a great traumatic experience in affected families. Patients, families and caregivers are then exposed to many functional and social difficulties. These states require accurate analysis of functional impairment, child’s coping skills and therapeutic plan to implement for optimal social integration. These children and their families must be supported since early childhood by multidisciplinary teams. This can require psychological support, the use of an aesthetic and/or functional prosthesis, and occupational therapy. Rehabilitation will be focused on grip function. For 1 year, we set up in Saint-Étienne University Hospital a dedicated clinic that meet every 1 to 2 months, three families affected by these conditions. Every child benefits a multidisciplinary clinic including medical examination, physiotherapist evaluation and prosthetist assessment. Then, children participate in an experience-sharing group coordinated by a nurse, and parents share their own experiences with a psychologist. We present the organization of this specialized clinic and the assessments of the fifteen families who already participated.