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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Diagnosed with hip dysplasia today, in need of some positivity!

27 replies

Gingerandlemon · 10/09/2013 22:28

Hi, I'm really hoping someone will be able to help me out.

My baby is very new - 9 days old - and during a check before leaving hospital last week, the paediatrician noticed she had a clicky hip and referred us for an outpatients orthopedic appointment. At this appointment (today) she has been diagnosed with developmental hip dysplasia and put in a harness. This was pretty horrendous and upsetting and apparently she's going to be in it at least 2 months. The harness means she can't wear clothes in the right size and she no longer fits in her pram or Moses basket.

So kind of a rough day, I'm hoping someone will have a happy story of a similar experience? Thanks in advance.

OP posts:

northernlurker · 10/09/2013 22:31

There was a baby at the toddler group I went to who was diagnosed very late, think she was around 6 months. SHe had the harness and was fine when it was taken off. I know today has been very upsetting but this is a short term issue and will save her from major problems.

What pram do you have? I wonder if you could borrow a bigger one.

MegBusset · 10/09/2013 22:35

Hi, I had hip dysplasia as a baby and it was before the days of harnesses, my mum was told to put two nappies on me! I have turned out fine :)

It's good that they have seen it early, friends of mine didn't get their DC diagnosed til he was several months old and it took much longer to put right. Can you ask around friends to borrow a bigger pram/cot? Otherwise ask on Freecycle, there's always lots of stuff on there.

Congrats on your baby btw, try not to let this spoil the early days, it'll soon be sorted.

Eastpoint · 10/09/2013 22:36

My dd2 had one of these - Pavlik's harness. It was fine. We had to go to the fracture clinic for the first few weeks to have it changed then they let us have a second one. We couldn't bathe her until we had a second one but that was fine. Dresses are your friend. My dd2 is now a very lively happy 12 year old. She only had it for 7 weeks as they mend so quickly at that age.

Original poster

Gingerandlemon · 10/09/2013 22:45

Thank you northernlurker that is reassuring. I'm hoping the fact that they caught it so soon will mean it'll have a better chance of success. Our pram is borrowed but we bought a carrycot bit for it which is now far too narrow. I'm not sure if we can still use the main part and whether it'll be wide enough for her little legs or not. We're first time parents still very much at the deep end (and recovering from emcs) so it's all a little overwhelming to be honest!

OP posts:

Original poster

Gingerandlemon · 10/09/2013 22:51

Oh and thank you too, meg and east. The positivity is super helpful. It's amazing how prepared you can be and then it all goes out the window.

Can I ask for suggestions for sleepwear? Also, we got some dresses in larger sizes but then how do you keep her legs warm? Sorry if these are daft questions.

OP posts:

Weegiemum · 10/09/2013 22:58

It's so good you got diagnosed so soon. My dd2 had a different hip problem (Perthes syndrome) so I know what it's like to be a "hip mummy" - we actually expect a final discharge at her appointment tomorrow morning! (Though she'll have annual monitoring until 18 as part of a research project).

It might be worth getting in touch with Steps who support families with lower limb conditions, and they've lots of parents coping with dysplasia - they also have a facebook group.

Wishing you and your family all the best!

AFishWithoutABicycle · 10/09/2013 23:00

My dd had one. She also developed femoral nerve palsy which basically ment she couldn't kick out her leg. So keep an eye on her movement.
I hated the pavlik harness at first. Mainly because of all the clothes she couldnt wear. However I soon came to think of it as part if my daughter and I grew to love it. I still have it and feel nostalgic when I look at it. Crazy I know.
Organics for kids do baby gros with short arms and legs so if you buy the next size up the are nice and baggy in the middle. Bonnie baby knitted gros were good as well. These are available on ebay very cheap.
I found the breast feeding cushions good if your bfing.
Fold up a small blanket and put it in the car seat to give her a good position.
My dd is 2.5 now and never sits still she runs around like crazy and can climb and scoot better than some children a year older. My sister also had hd and is now a marathon runner. On the other hand Our neighbour wasn't born in the uk and didnt receive treatment for her dp and has just had to have 3 very awful operations. She has a permanent limp and is in pai a lot of the time.
I know it's a shock. But I hope you learn to love it as a unique part of your daughters which will become

synonymous with this wonderful early part of her life.

rhetorician · 10/09/2013 23:00

Our dd2 (now 21 months) had this as well, straight in Pavlik harness at 6 weeks. It was distressing at the time, plus bloody awkward (no more baby bjorn etc). It had to be adjusted every week because they grow so fast and she was allowed out of it just long enough for it to be washed. She had it until 18 weeks; the effectiveness diminishes after about 12 weeks. There is a strong family history. It's way better than surgery and at this early stage has a good success rate. It's also way better than arthritis in your teens, disability and a hip replacement by 30. DD2 had a clear x ray last time and will have one more. If angles all correct, she will be signed off. Your dd will not remember! Good luck

AFishWithoutABicycle · 10/09/2013 23:01

Leg earners for the dress issue. On ebay for penny's.

AFishWithoutABicycle · 10/09/2013 23:01

Leg warmers

rhetorician · 10/09/2013 23:03

I think at night we used baby gro that was too big and put her in sleeping bag so her legs were covered.

AFishWithoutABicycle · 10/09/2013 23:04

We used a baby bjorn...

rhetorician · 10/09/2013 23:09

Did you? Her legs were sort of pulled up into her chest, so legs were free to go through the holes...

rhetorician · 10/09/2013 23:09

Weren't obviously. Doh. Time for bed

AFishWithoutABicycle · 10/09/2013 23:12

My dd was small, i don't really remember how it work but it didnt change her leg position. We faced her out if that changes things.

Kaffiene · 10/09/2013 23:18

My sister had this. 6 weeks in the harness, she is fine now. These are cute
www.babykind.co.uk/huggalugs.htm

Grumpla · 10/09/2013 23:29

I was a harness baby! I slept in a picnic basket lines with sheepskin as they couldn't fit me in the carrycot.

I'm fine now, although did get very bad SPD when pregnant and the Physio said then I would probably have benefited from some Physio / heel raisers earlier on.

My dad was worried I'd miss out on cuddles so he used to lie me on his chest in my harness for hours on end. He's a lovely dad

Original poster

Gingerandlemon · 11/09/2013 11:02

Thank ladies, this is reassuring. I'm pretty sure she doesn't mind so much, it's a bigger adjustment for me I think. I've had fun ordering her some little leg warmers this morning and feel a bit more positive about things since it has been caught so early. Thank you xx

OP posts:

Rosiebells · 12/09/2013 01:49

Hi Gingerandlemon my DD was diagnosed with bilateral DDH at 4 weeks old. Both hips were clinically dislocated and on the day of the USS she went into a pavlik harness.
I remember crying for days and was worried that I'd start sobbing if anyone saw the harness and asked what was wrong.
DD however didn't seem to mind one little jot! Within 2 weeks of being in the harness her angles had made a significant improvement and both were then stable which meant she was allowed out of it for an hour a night.

In terms of breastfeeding I found the harness made her easier to handle. Very surprising I know!
Clothes.... We dressed her in baby grows. You often couldn't even tell apart from the frogged position.

We were advised against a baby bjorn, but found the cloth Kari-me sling amazing. We put her facing inwards and she loved her cuddles in that.

After 2 weeks of full time wearing, and 6 weeks of 23hours a day, her hips are completely normal. She's next due to see the physio at age 1 for an X-ray but otherwise she's the happiest wriggliest 5 month old.

Chin up, the treatment is amazing and success rate is very high. You'll feel less sad soon I promise

Original poster

Gingerandlemon · 12/09/2013 07:47

Hi Rosie

Thank you that's a lovely story and if it's only a couple of months that sounds like it could be quite manageable! Hopefully that's a result of having been spotted early.

Sounds like you've had a similar reaction to me - my husband had to explain to the midwife yesterday because it upset me too much to talk about but the little munchkin barely seems to have noticed! Night time is slightly trickier since we're having to introduce the cotbed when she was just starting to get on with the Moses basket but then I suspect nighttime is fairly tricky with most week and a half old babies anyway!

Firmly crossing fingers that things work out as positively for us as they did for you.

OP posts:

Rosiebells · 12/09/2013 09:37

It really flew by, one of the other babies in our NCT group also had DDH, she went into a harness at 6w and was out 4 weeks later.

Good luck with the transition to cot bed. She's so young that she'll adapt really quickly. If anything when our DD's harness came off, she was so wriggly and full of beans that it was difficult getting her off to sleep. We would just smile and watch her squirming happily away.

Keeping fingers crossed that all goes well

ningyo · 12/09/2013 13:19

My sister had hip dysplasia as a baby and was in a harness for quite a while. She's now an elite triathlete and was in the World Championships representing our country earlier this year, so definitely a good result! It's great that they've spotted it early.

lelait · 12/09/2013 14:11

Ahhhh I remember that feeling, being told my perfect little new baby had bad hips was absolutely horrible. The day after I was in such tears, BUT looking back on it now it really really wasn't bad at all. DD1 was in traction for nearly 2 weeks then had a plaster for 6 weeks - so for us the pavlik harness was great in comparison. I used to put tights/leggings underneath the harness and a (big) dress on top. For the night it just went over her babygrow.
I second looking at the steps website. Luckily we had brought a soft carry cot anyway so she went in there with a blanket under her knees and her legs sort of sticking over the top - could you do something similar with the moses basket? For the pram I'm sure she'll be fine without the carry cot at all. I did buy some lovely little sheepskin booties to keep her sticking out feet cosy! I had an ergobaby sling which I would recommend anyway.

It will be over before you know it (and if you're anything like me you'll look back on it fondly as just part of your DDs babyhood)

northernlurker · 12/09/2013 18:33

It is a horrible feeling being told something isn't right. For me it was dd3 who was diagnosed with a heart murmur at 6 weeks old. That turned out to bea narrowing of her pulmonary valve and though it won't go away it's never caused her problems. Truble is even when people say 'she'll be fine' part of you is a very fierce mummy tiger roaring inside 'but it's my BABY and I'm supposed to keep her safe and now part of her is broken and that's NOT fine'. The feeling fades

northernlurker · 12/09/2013 18:34

Not dd3, was dd2. I made dh come to dd3's 6 week check just in case though. We'd been given an extra cardiac scan and everything looked ok but there was no way I was facing any news like that alone again.

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