An injection for an 8 year old does not hit the sciatic nerve. This is because doctors are generally trained to give injections and will avoid the area where the sciatic nerve is located. An inexperienced nurse may hit the sciatic nerve, which will immediately cause symptoms. The main symptoms are numbness and pain in the buttocks, outer calf, and back of the thigh. If the sciatic nerve is damaged, it may lead to total paralysis of all muscles in the lower leg and foot, resulting in the inability to dorsiflex the knee, loss of ankle and toe motor function, neurotrophic changes in the foot, etc. If your child develops nerve damage from intramuscular injections, he or she needs to be seen immediately and treated by a professional doctor to avoid more serious consequences.