One "Hip" Momma: A monkey has entered the building ....

January 4, 2009

A monkey has entered the building ....

This has been the chaos that we walk into, when a certain little boy is not ready to nap, & myohmy, is he proud !! I figure it takes him all of 5 minutes to undue the snuggy tuck-in he loves, unsnap EVERY snap on his jammies while undoing all velcro on his brace! I am sure that if he could 'heaveho' it over the high bar of his crib he would do that too .... little monkey!!

He has started letting us know he's becoming frustrated with having to wear his brace but will still let us put it back on him ;) Our next appointment is scheduled for January 12th where Dr. 'J' will do another xray & update our plan of attack. Jackjack's brace is really "yucky" & even falling apart, he moves so much in it, I see a new one in his future!! We would all love to see him be able to move to just night wear. He doesn't appear to be bothered by not being able to walk, but it is one of my prayers for him this year.... how exciting would that be?

We have had a fabulous holiday season full of family, friends, food and many visits ~ we feel so blessed to have so many people who love us & for us to love ! We all felt young again watching Jackjack's excitement at everything .... every light, pretty present or sound made him smile & let out an "oooooooh" ~ what a love!

Wishing you all a restful beginning to 2009. May it be a year filled with happiness, love & adventure!

"GROW, BONE, GROW"!!

xo Steph

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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.