Dislocated Hip in Infants

I had hip dysplasia at birth, and so did one of girlfriend's kids. Both treatments were the same, which were braces to wear until socket closes enough to keep the joint from separating. Was he breech? I think that is the most common reason for the socket not to close enough. To be honest, I forget most of the info, but if you google it I am sure you'll find lots of info!

By the way, I have had no problems with my hips at all since I was a baby, and my friend's daughter is 9 and she is also fine! Good luck at the doctor! :)

I, myself, was born breech and an orthopedic surgeon in Dallas told my parents I would need to wear braces for months for hip dysplasia. My family took me to Scottish Rite for a second opinion and they said that I had a small displacement but there was no need for the braces. They said that crawling and walking would push my hips back into place properly since they didn't have far to go. I did go back and have xrays done a few times at Scottish Rite and I fully recovered with no treatment just as the doctors had said. They have the best doctors in the world there and I would trust them fully! Everyone there is kind and loving and always patient and helpful. I am sure that the braces are very beneficial in a lot of cases, but I would want to be sure your baby needs them before making that decision. I have never had any problems at all and I wish you the best with your new baby!

My 8 year old had hip dysplasia. She wore a pavlik harness as well. Crawled and worked as expected. I remember being completely freaked out about it, at the time. I think as moms our reaction is to freak and then do what has to be done to fix the problem. My daughter was treated by Shriners Hostpitals (similar to Scottish Rite). I would highly recommend Scottish Rite. My sister and I both were born with hip-dysplasia and none of us have any hip issues currently. As the doctors explained it to me, MANY children are born with this condition and only some are diagnosed. Some will "grow" out of it, they just do not know which ones. So any child that is disagnosed is treated with the harness, to ensure proper development. My daughter also wore a brace at night, once finished with the pavlik harness. Fell free to contact me for questions or encouragement. ____@____.com Love to you and your baby, H.

Hey -
I'm 40 and was born like that as well (both legs dislocated because I was breech - born feet first and they pulled to get me out). I had to wear the leg braces and all is well now. I'm sure dealing with the leg braces was difficult. But, back then, I think the braces were a lot larger than they are now. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that all is well now! I'm sure all will work out great for you too!

Hey..I just now read the responses of everyone else. 6-8 weeks is a dream treatment. I had to wear the leg braces until I was about 15 months old. So, it sounds like medical treatment has come a LONG way. Good luck!

-L.

My third child was treated for congenital hip dysplasia. We saw Dr. Barry Hiumenick. I'm pretty sure I spelled that wrong, but he's the ONLY ortho specialist near McKinney. He and staff are great! He's at Craig Ranch now. My daughter had an ultrasound and ruled her anatomy normal. She did, however, wear the Pavlik harness for 6-8 weeks. It's more common in girls, left hip. This is a good time of year to diagnose, because you can conceal the harness with clothes. Feel free to message me privately with any questions. I'll explain the follow up if interested. Blessings! Don't stress about it. It's easily corrected!!

Chandra,

My daughter was born with right hip dysplasia - the ball was loose in the socket but not fully dislocated. When we saw the specialist, he gave a paper that was an order to take to the hospital and get an ultrasound and register as an outpatient. It all seemed very routine.

Then she wore her body harness under her clothes (keeps legs froggy-style and affixes with velcro) for 9 weeks all but a few hours a day. During that time we had repeat ultrasounds to make sure the socket was getting firmer. Then she was released from the specialist's care after those 9 weeks until her 6 mos and 1 yr rechecks.

We saw Dr. Barry Hiumenick too (Plano area).

My daughter crawled on time, walked early, and is healthy today - about to turn 5 and in competitive gymnastics and on a soccer team - looking back it seemed like a terrible ordeal for my tiny baby newborn, and for me .... but I can say with all honesty that it passes quickly and then you blink and they're BIG KIDS! Hang in there, Momma. You are doing a good job.

My daughter who is now 8 years old had hip dysplasia as an infant. Our pediatrician gave us a recommendation for Scottish Rite Hospital and they are wonderful! You pay absolutely nothing and the doctors, nurses and staff and so kind and caring. My daughter had to wear the Pavlik harness for 8 weeks and after several ultrasounds on her hips, the harness closed the gap and today she is 100% fine. At the time, I was a first time M. and soooo upset that something was wrong with my newborn but it all turned out just fine and that was just a blip on the screen in the grand scheme of things! Good luck and everything will turn out alright!