mild hip dysplasia

Chuchu

Anyone else's little one have this? Or is being for this? Our now 9 month old was diagnosed with 'mild' hip dysplasia at her 6 week check but was not put in harness or anything, we were told it was just going to be 'kept in check'. So she has had 2 x rays since and has been called back each time. We've just been having the appointments with the radiologists who say nothing, then a letter in the post with a follow up date, so we are none the wiser what to expect. I had kinda thought given that it was mild that it would just 'right itself' and wasn't worrying. Now she's started crawling and by the next apt could be walking. Either way I just did the one thing I know I shouldn't have and googled the damn thing and once over a certain age it appears that surgery might be necessary :eek:
Any other people there who've had these 'checks' in the first year that ultimately came to nothing??? Here's hoping!!:)

lolli

I just had my daughter at an appointment two days ago and I was told her hips are clicking and the creases on her legs are abnormal, they dont match with each other so one leg seems to be a bit longer. I am awaiting an xray. (she had xrays when she had meningitis but they never said anything)

I, like you read a load of scary surgery stuff!

Chuchu

Thanks lolli, I'll keep you updated as we are going for a third x ray in August. I just would like to speak to someone about it instead of just going for loads of x rays!! I might ring them up and see if I can chat to someone about it. I've stopped searching online... too scary!!

lolli

I know it can be hard to get people to talk to at times. They should really do something about it when the baby is small. Not really fair to leave it until they are walking

r3nu4l

Chuchu wrote: »

Either way I just did the one thing I know I shouldn't have and googled the damn thing and once over a certain age it appears that surgery might be necessary :eek:
)

My 7-week old is in a Pavlik harness and will be for at least another 11 weeks. Here's my thread about it.
I'm not concerned about surgery yet because it's such early days.

In your case however I would be concerned that nobody appears to be talking to you. You are within your rights to demand to speak to someone and get their thoughts. Do so. It's your child and you need information to help you make decisions.

Chuchu

Thanks for that and the thread, had a read of it there, this is exactly my concern if there's to be a harness the earlier the better. But even more of a worry for me now is that her next appointment is Sept and she'll be 1!! If they're to do anything by then I'm guessing it'll be surgery! Been trying to get through to someone since yest. Will have to speck to someone about it alright

r3nu4l

Chuchu wrote: »

If they're to do anything by then I'm guessing it'll be surgery! Been trying to get through to someone since yest. Will have to speck to someone about it alright

Well I can't give medical advice but I'm pretty sure that they will explore other options before surgery, if only on a cost-of-treatment basis I can't believe you can't get an appointment until September!!! That's crazy! :eek: We're having scans every two weeks (in England, under the NHS, not private).

Chuchu

I know, mental. I'm more annoyed at the lack of consultation, but I got on to someone this morning, asked to speak with Doctor, who is not about til Monday but Secretary has left a message for them to ring me then. Hopefully we'll be somewhat wiser next week. Thanks again for advice.

Grawns

Don't know if this will help but when Bridget was born they did the hip test and said nothing to me but I got a letter with an appointment for a scan for mild hip displasia ( one fo her sockets was a bit shallow) when she was 6 months. After the xray she was given the all clear. The condition started out mild and corrected itself so they monitored it to be sure. In your case it sounds like the condition isn't worsening so they are keeping an eye on it to make sure it corrects itself. I would phone and ask to speak to the consultant. I know I did

2nd Row Donkey

My little girl is 6 weeks old today and we have a 6 week scan a few days ago. We now have an appointment for temple st on Wednesday. My wife had it herself as a baby and it looks like our baby has it too as the nurse at the ultrasound the other day seemed pretty concerned.

I've been reading www.babyhips.ie a website set up by irish parents whose kids had the same problem.

k2000

Hi,

My daughter was given a referral for an xray at 6mths when she was 2 days old. At our 6 week check up, GP felt it should be treated sooner so she contacted hospital for our daughter to be seen by a consultant asap.

She went into a pavlik harness at 10weeks old for approx 12-14weeks. By then she was 5mths old and has outgrown the harness. The harness works in over 90% of cases but in our case it failed. We had a break of 2 months and then met with consultant who sent us to a specialist in a different hospital who xrayed her for the millionth time. Came back another day for a general anaesthetic and an arthiagram (inject dye into hip and xrays are much clearer), they made a small incision and cut some tendons to manipulate the hip into the correct position. She came out in a spica (chest to ankles) plaster cast which she wore for 6 weeks. Back for change of cast under anesthetic and another 6 weeks of cast. Back again for cast change - no anaesthetic this time and cast was from thighs to ankles. After 6 weeks that came off and we had a lot of adjusting to do. We had become so accostomed to the cast, she felt so floppy without it.

We have been for checkups regularly since. A babies hip sockets dont begin to develop until 6mths old so they dont usually xray before this age. At 18mth, kids diagnosed with DDH at an early age usually have a checkup as it gives a good indication as to whether the sockets will develop normally on their own or not. We were preparing ourselves for an osteotomy (they take some bone from pelvis and graft it to make a hip socket as otherwise only muscle is holding hip in place) Doc held off on doing this as there seemed to be some progress on the socket. Back for assessment in Oct but surgery may be further down the line.

Familiarize yourself with the medical terms as some docs wont explain everything. This means you can have questions prepared. They really cant tell you what will happen until each appointment as their hips are growing all the time, they may not need any interference at all. The majority of babies dont have a spica cast. There are a handful of us on rollercoaster on the Q3 2008 board if you want to chat. We can give you tips for hospital stays etc and car seats they fit into in cast.

Sorry if i have given way too much info.

x

Chuchu

Very informative and helpful, thanks k2000.
Spoke to Doc eventually and they said just that; that at each apt things may or may not have changed so it's really just a waiting game. So my stance is now 'no point worrying about something until that bridge has to be passed'.

lolli

Well Saoirse has had her xray and I was told that there is something wrong with her right hip. I think shes been through enough with the meningitis. Poor baby

I have to go back on monday to see what is going to be done about it.

Chuchu

oh poor Lolli and baba... well keep an eye on this thread as we've our next appt at the end of Sept (she'll be 13 months) so I'll let you know what they say then, as has been said before, all this might come to nothing (at least that's what I'm hoping!)

Grawns

That's really tough lolli

lolli

Thanks will let yous know how she gets on tomorrow.

Chuchu hopefully it'll have fixed itself

lolli

Saoirse has developmental dysplasia