12 Jan Was your baby 👶🏻 lying breech in your tummy during your pregnancy before turning at the last moment🤰 Was your baby 👶🏻born breech 😬 Do you have a family history of hip problems😖

If you have answered yes to any of the above statements, then your baby may be at risk of Clicky Hips or Developmental Dysplasia of the Hips (DDH). 🤔

Clicky Hips or DDH is a condition that affects the neonatal 👶🏻and infant hip joint. DDH is a term used to describe a range of abnormalities affecting an infant’s hips including a shallow hip joint; an unstable hip joint that pops in and out of the hip socket; or a hip joint that is completely dislocated and lying outside the hip socket. Studies indicate that 1 in 100 babies will be identified as having some hip instability at birth, and 1-2 per 1000 babies will be born with a dislocated hip.

Top 3 Risk Factors for Clicky Hips or DDH
1. Babies 👶🏻who have breech presentation at birth.
2. Family history of DDH (especially in parents or siblings).
3. Female baby👶🏻 (DDH is four times more likely to occur in a female baby).
If a baby’s hips are not formed properly, and no early intervention is carried out to treat the hips, then the baby may be at risk of being unable to walk 👣 in the future, or have hip problems, as they get older. Therefore, it is really important to make sure that an experienced Paediatric Physiotherapist 🤓 checks your newborn baby’s hips at birth or very soon after.

DDH when detected early can be easily and effectively treated 😊 using a Pavlik Harness to position baby’s hips in the optimal position to allow normal development of the hips. Early Intervention is key! 🔑 Waiting too long can impact on your baby’s hips development and their gross motor skills development in the first year.

Here at My Favourite Physio, our Paediatric Physiotherapist 🤓checks all newborn babies with clicky hips to ensure that their hips are normal, and if required will fit them with a Pavlik Harness to correct their hips.

If you are concerned about your newborn baby’s hips, ring My Favourite Physio📱 on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to speak to our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapist today.