Nearly 200 children are waiting for life-changing spinal surgery in three Dublin hospitals.

The list has grown by almost a third since the pandemic began.

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine, which is often diagnosed in childhood.

Sometimes surgery is needed to address the painful problem.

New figures show the waiting lists have lengthened during the pandemic.

In November 2019, 148 children were waiting for scoliosis-related surgery in Crumlin, Temple Street and Cappagh hospitals.

At the end of last month, that had risen 32% to 196.

The Children's Rights Alliance CEO Tanya Ward said the backlog is “really concerning.”

“We know for children experiencing delays with scoliosis treatment, it can really affect them,” she said.

“It can be very painful; it can affect their growth and development and even their ability to play and socialise with other children.

“There are certain vital services for children and young people that need to be prioritised now. We need extra resources. We need to address these backlogs.”

She said the delays can have a real impact on a child’s development.

“The most profound aspect of it is the amount of pain some children can be in and also the fact that it does impact on their mobility and their ability to lead a normal life,” she said.

“If it is not dealt with early in a child’s life, the surgeries and the treatments can be more painful and more interventionist as you move up the chain.”

As of April 23rd, 132 scoliosis-related surgeries were carried on children in the three hospitals this year, according to Children's Health Ireland.