MM Hip health
Healthyhips
Healthy hip positioning plays an important part in encouraging normal hip development. MM takes a closer look...
As a mum you’ll always want to ensure that your baby is in tip-top condition physically. Unfortunately, however, some babies can be affected by developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), a condition where the ‘ball and socket’ joint of the hip does not form properly. The ‘ball and socket’ refers to the fact
that the hip joint attaches the thigh bone to the pelvis. The top of the thigh bone – the femur – is rounded, like a ball, and sits inside the hip socket, which is cup-shaped.
Why problems can arise While a baby is in the womb, it spends a long time tucked up in the fetal position. This means that its hips and knees are either bent or flexed, and, once it is born, it can take several months for the joints to stretch out naturally. Babies who have been lying breech – or indeed are born breech – may take even longer to stretch out naturally. It’s for that reason that some babies can
experience some problems with their hips during this time. In cases of DDH, a baby’s hips may have
36 Modernmum
been forced into a stretched-out position too early and so the ball is at risk of permanently deforming the edges of the cup-shaped socket (hip dysplasia), or of gradually slipping out of the socket altogether (hip dislocation). DDH tends to affect one or both hips,
but it’s more common in the left common. It’s also more common in girls and firstborn children. It’s estimated that about one or two in every 1000 babies have DDH that requires treatment. The risk of hip dysplasia or dislocation is
greatest in the first few months of life, since by six months of age, most babies will have almost doubled in size. The hips are more developed and the ligaments are stronger, and so are less susceptible to developing hip dysplasia.
Diagnosis of DDH Your baby’s hips are checked as part of the physical examination that all babies receive. This generally happens within 72 hours of the birth and another hip examination is carried out when your baby is between six and eight weeks old. The
examination involves gentle manipulation of your baby’s hip joints to check if there are any problems and doesn’t generally cause them any discomfort.
Treatment of DDH Babies, who are diagnosed with DDH early in life are generally treated with a ‘Pavlik harness’. This is a fabric splint which secures both of your baby’s hips in a stable position and allows them to develop normally. The splint is worn constantly for several
weeks and should not be removed by anyone other than a healthcare professional. During the period that your baby has to wear the harness, you will be shown how to change your baby’s clothes without removing the harness, how to clean it if it’s soiled and how to position your baby while they sleep, ie, on their back and not on their side. As the treatment progresses, you may
be given advice on how to remove and replace the harness for short periods of time until it can eventually be permanently removed.
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