One "Hip" Momma: Finally good news ....

August 22, 2008

Finally good news ....

I honestly thought this day would be much, much further away. Our appointments since the very day Jack was diagnosed have been upsetting and frustrating .... "are we doing the right thing" was always nagging but now we know! After manipulating Jack's hip & the arthrogram to follow, Dr. Joughin finished with very good news!! There is *finally* new bone growth in Jack's hips! The top of his acetabulum have started to grow & he now actually has some curve to his hip sockets :)

This cast will be on for the next 6 weeks & will hopefully be his last :) At our next appointment he will be fitted & coming home in a brace. We're not sure what type yet but we do know he will be wearing it for 24 hours (minus splash time in the bath!!) until his hips have fully healed. We are very excited & feeling very blessed to have such amazing support from family, friends and our amazing surgeon :)

Jack is sleeping peacefully in his own bed & I will finally be able to sleep peaceful too...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: That is so awesome Steph!!! I am so happy for little Jack and all of you! We knew he could do it! Lots of love,
Kristine; August 23, 2008 at 3:10 PM

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what is developmental hip dysplasia ?

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) or congenital hip dysplasia (CDH) describes a variety of conditions in which the hip doesn't develop properly.

The hip is a "ball and socket" joint. Normally the top of the thigh bone (femur) has a round ball shape (femoral head) which fits into a cup-like socket on the pelvis (acetabulum). There are a range of developmental and congenital hip conditions that can affect babies and children.

In the mildest forms, the socket may fail to grow deep enough. In the more sever forms, the femoral head may be displaced completely out of the socket and be dislocated.

Following are terms you will become familiar with if your sweet child is diagnosed with DDH:

Subluxation - There is incomplete contact between the ball (femoral head) and cup (acetabulum) of the hip.

Dislocation - There is absolutely no contact betweeb the femoral head and acetabulum.

Instability - The hip is in the correct spot but can be moved in or out of the socket with gentle manipulation.

Teratologic Dislocation - This is an antenatal dislocation of the hip.

Hopefully, DDH will be diagnosed right after birth. Your Doctor will perform a hip check on your new baby to listen for a "click" or "clunk" as he/she moves the hip into different positions. One hip should be examined at a time, gently, with your baby relaxed. The examiner should have his/her thumb on your baby's inner thigh and the index finger around baby's hip to the back. The trick is to move the knee out to "froggy" position.

In our case, just a "twirling" of both knees was done and DDH was missed for an entire year ... by 8 different Doctors and Nurses!

When a child reaches 3 to 6 months, if the hip is dislocated it will be in a fixed position. With your little one on his/her back, lift both knees together and place those sweet feet flat on the floor. If one knee is higher/lower than the other please ask for further diagnosis.

Other signs that DDH may be present and undiagnosed are:

- uneven thigh rolls or wrinkles

- inability to "straddle sit" your hip

- fighting hip checks during well baby visits

- a slouch with sitting

- a dragging leg or a limp while walking

Depending on when DDH is diagnosed and the severity of your child's DDH determines what treatment will be used.

Please, trust your instincts, and ask for your child to be checked if you suspect DDH.