Case reports are presented on 2 children who had suffered traumatic luxations in the region of the cranial cervical spine. In both children, there was interruption of spinal cord continuity by severance with respiratory arrest and tetraplegia. As a rule, death occurs immediately at the site of accident. With a well-developed emergency ambulance system in conurbations, however, such cases may be admitted to hospital after resuscitation. After 16 hours, a child admitted to hospital died of a progressive bradycardia with subsequent asystole in respiratory paralysis. The second child survived for 10 months until it died of pneumonia.
