15 Mar 😬😬Been told that your child has Developmental dysplasia of the hips (DDH)

DDH is an abnormal development of the hip joint.  The hip joint is often described as a “ball and socket” joint where the head of the thigh bone is the round ball that sits in the socket of the pelvic bone.

In babies  with DDH, the ball at the top of the thigh bone is not stable within the socket of the pelvic bone because the hip joint was not well developed when baby was in the womb. The ligaments of the hip joint that hold it together may also be loose which means that the ball of the thigh bone slips in and out of the socket of the pelvic bone. This is where the hip joint is described as “clicky hips”. Sometimes, the ball of the thigh bone is actually outside of the socket of the pelvic bone and the hip is dislocated at birth. If left untreated, the child will not be able to walk or may walk with a waddling limping pattern  because the hip joint is not in the right place.

DDH is treatable and can be easily corrected without surgery if it is detected early. It is important to ensure that your baby’s hips are checked at birth or very soon after birth. It is also important to ensure that an experienced Paediatric Specialist checks your baby’s hips because shallow hip joints can be missed by an untrained person.

To give your child the best start to healthy hips, make sure that an experienced Expert Paediatric Physiotherapist checks your baby’s hips within the first 1-2 weeks of their life. Early diagnosis is the key to correcting DDH.

If you are concerned about your baby’s  hips, ring My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio speak to one of our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists today! Let us help your baby have a lifetime of healthy hips!

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