One "Hip" Momma

May 2, 2009

Today has been such a hard day we have no words to even begin to explain how we are feeling. Jackjack's epidural & pain meds stopped working suddenly at 2:30 this afternoon. Everyone has been trying to figure out why, but most importantly to get him comfortable. He is incredibly swollen & barely looks like our sweet boy.

Xray was just in & the good news is, his pins are still in the right place & nothing was out of the ordinary with either hip! His cast had to be cut open to help reduce some of the pain from swelling so he will be taken back into the OR sometime Monday for a new cast to be put on.

Ultrasound is here, as I type, to make sure everything is still okay with his "shy guy". We have been blessed with an amazing team of nurses, Dr.'s & anesthetists today .... one who has pulled out all of the stops & finally got sweet Jack comfortable & has not left the unit ~ due to the amount & combinations of meds it took to get him to this point.

Please keep Jackjack in your prayers & thoughts tonight & through the day tomorrow.

XO,
Steph

1 comment:

Jenn said...: Aunties thinking about you JackJack!! Love you guys. j; May 4, 2009 at 7:11 AM

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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.