Learn about congenital hip dislocations in children

Congenital hip dislocation is a condition that can happen if you get pregnant for the first time and your uterus doesn't expand enough for your baby to move.

It is important to have a newborn check-up after birth or when you are about to be discharged from the hospital because it will help you detect abnormalities in your baby. Congenital hip dysplasia is on the list to be reviewed and diagnosed early. If left for too long, the disease will affect quite a lot on the ability of the baby to move. The following article, aFamilyToday Health  will join you to learn about hip dislocation as well as how to treat this condition.

What is congenital hip dislocation?

Congenital hip dysplasia (CHD) occurs when a baby is born with an unstable hip. This is due to the abnormal formation of the hip joint in the early stages of fetal development. Another name for this condition is development of hip dysplasia. This instability will tend to be more serious as the baby gets older.

A child's hip ball joint can sometimes be dislocated so that the parts cannot combine smoothly together in movements, which can range from mild to severe. According to the American Association of Family Physicians, one in every 1,000 babies develops a hip dislocation.

Causes of congenital hip dislocation

The cause of congenital hip dislocation is quite diverse and depends on the specific case. Factors that include low intrauterine amniotic fluid , breech pregnancy and a family history of the condition. The small uterus can also cause hip dislocation or an impact on it. This is why your baby is more likely to experience this condition if you get pregnant for the first time.

Subjects at risk

Congenital hip dislocation is more common in girls than in boys. But you can't take it lightly, as any newborn is likely to be. This is why doctors will routinely check babies for signs of hip dislocation and continue to do this work for the first year after they're born.

Signs of hip dislocation

There is no specific symptom of congenital hip dislocation, but instead, doctors and nurses will regularly check for this. If your child develops symptoms, they may include:

Foot outward or the length of each foot varies

Movement is limited

The folds on the legs and butt are not evenly matched when the legs are extended

Slow to develop gross motor skills, which in turn affects the way the child sits, crawls and walks.

Diagnosis of congenital hip dislocation

Screening for congenital hip dislocations will be done at birth and throughout the first year. The most common screening method is a physical exam. The doctor will gently control your child's hips and legs while listening for "crack" that could only be caused by dislocations. This test consists of two parts:

On the Ortolani test, the pediatrician applies force to the hips when the baby is stretched out lower

On the Barlow test, the pediatrician applies downward force while the baby moves hips sideways

These tests are only correct before your baby is 3 months old. In older babies, signs of illness include limping, limited movement, and difference in leg length. Imaging tests can confirm a diagnosis of congenital hip dislocation. Ultrasound is for babies younger than 6 months old. X-rays will be suitable for older babies.

How is congenital hip fracture treated?

If your baby is younger than 6 months old and diagnosed with a congenital hip dislocation, chances are your baby will need a Pavlik harness. This product will press your child's hip joints into the correct position as well as support the hip muscles by moving the baby's legs in a frog-like position. The darling can wear a harness for 6 to 12 weeks, depending on the age and severity of the condition and full-time or part-time use of the product.

If the harness treatment doesn't work as expected or if the baby gets older, the doctor will consider surgery. This includes general anesthesia and hip manipulation so that the part is in place of the joint.

In addition, tendon stretching surgery is also used, ligaments and other obstructions are removed before positioning the hip. This method is called internal bone fusion. Once everything is in place, your baby's hips and legs will need to be in place for at least 12 weeks.

If your baby is 18 months of age or older or is not responding well to therapy, he or she may need femoral or pelvic surgery to rebuild the hip. This means that the surgeon will split or reshape the top of the femur.

Unless the problem is corrected before the baby starts to gain weight, long-term hip damage may occur, affecting later activity.

How to prevent congenital hip dislocation?

You cannot prevent this situation. Therefore, it is very important to have your child checked regularly so that the doctor can identify and treat the disease as soon as possible. You can confirm with your doctor about congenital hip dislocation before discharge from the hospital.

With early diagnosis and successful treatment, the child can develop a normal hip joint without any functional limitations. If left untreated, congenital hip dislocation can lead to pain and osteoarthritis as a baby matures, while also making a difference in leg length or decreased agility.

Even with the right treatment, hip deformity and osteoarthritis are likely to develop if the healing process is carried out after 2 years of age.

Hip dislocations can also occur in adults, you can read more about What is hip dislocation to learn more about this.