Hip Dysplasia

Many infants suffer from hip dysplasia. The following is an article provided by Dr. Jopling from the National Institutes of Health.

Developmental dysplasia of the hipURL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000971.htm

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a dislocation of the hip joint that is present at birth. The condition is found in babies or young children.

Causes

The hip is a ball and socket joint. The ball, called the femoral head, forms the top part of the thigh bone (femur) and the socket (acetabulum) forms in the pelvis.

The hip may be all the way out of the joint or the socket may be a little shallow. One or both hips may be involved.

The cause is unknown, but genetic factors may play a role. Low levels of amniotic fluid in the womb during pregnancy can increase a baby's risk of DDH. Other risk factors include:

* Being the first child

* Being female

* Breech delivery

* Family history of the disorder

DDH occurs in about 1 out of 1,000 births.

Symptoms

There may be no symptoms. Symptoms that may occur can include:

* Different (asymmetric) leg positions

* Reduced movement on the side of the body with the dislocation

* Shorter leg on the side with the dislocation

* Uneven folds of thigh fat

Ultrasound of the hip can be helpful to determine the diagnosis in the first several months of life.

Please talk to your doctor if you have questions or concerns.

This article was provided as a request from one of our patient's moms! We love any feedback that we can get! If there is ever anything that you would like us to post about, please let us know and we will make our best effort to get the most up-to-date information from our doctors! Big thanks to the mom who requested we bring awareness of this to other parents!