French doctors and x-raying babies

[bunnyfrance]

Hello ladies in France,

DD had her 4-month check-up and vaccines yesterday. Doctor wants to send her for a hip x-ray, apparently it's systematic for all girls, no questions asked!

I find this a bit extreme - don't like the idea of her getting a dose of radiation at such a young age and there's no particular reason for this exam (no hereditary problems, easy and natural birth etc....)

Anyone have any experience of this? Is it true that they x-ray all little girls? No wonder the Sécu is going bankrupt! DH doesn't see my problem with this and I'll probably get it done so as to comply with the doctor's orders, but I just feel I'm going against my wishes here.

Thanks for any input you may have!

Are you sure it's an xray? Here we're offered a scan. You don't have to accept, I never bothered, mainly because I couldn't get it together to get out of the house to make an appointment, but DD was in reusables anyway so any mild problem would have sorted itself out.

I've never heard of this. Have one DD born in 2004. I wouldn't comply unless I knew the doc had good cause for concern!

We are in Germany but they scan all babies hips here at the 6 week check, it is an ultrasound scan checking for hip dysplasia, not an x-ray. Hip dysplasia is easily treated with double nappies or if it is more severe a removable plastic hip brace over the nappy, if detected early, but if left late the child can be in a brace for much longer, and at a time when they want to be walking or crawling (my sister had it). All 3 of my babies were scanned, including the one born in the UK (in her case she was referred due to family history) and I would say it is a good idea to take the scan if offered it free...

I imagine it would be the same type of scan and reason in France.

My dd was x-rayed at 6 and 12 months due to a family history of bi-lateral hip dislocation-she's 14 now
DS and my niece had an ultrasound on their hips, (both 9 now) for the same reason.

If you could see the state my dad's in after a lifetime of problems caused by undetected and untreated "clicky hips" at birth, believe me, you'd not be worried about a couple of doses of radiation from xrays!

At that age it should be ultrasound. Xr won't show enough detail as most of the hip is still cartilage which doesn't show on Xr. Important to check hips though and part of baby check here but only images if probs clinically.

COI Ortho doc

It's definitely an X-ray - it says "radiographie" on the prescription, not "echographie"

You've reassured me now, "shesparkles", I've fixed the appointment for the first week of January.

I was just a bit uneasy at the way it was prescribed with no questions asked about family history, or anything!

My DD had her hips scanned at 6 weeks in Romania. I was told that it's common practice in Eastern Europe, Austria and Germany. A problem was detected and she was double nappied for a couple of months but no further treatment was needed. She is still checked every 6 months though.

I saw a Consultant in the UK and he told me that if the NHS had enough money all girls would be scanned as hip problems are on the rise as most children no longer wear towelling nappies and in thin disposable ones their legs aren't at the same angle. Previously by default most children were treated by their nappy if there was a problem.

I'm glad I've managed to reassure you bunny, my sister had clicky hips which my mum sorted out with double terry nappies (it was the 1960s), my dd had a slight "clunk" rather than a click, which did go on its own, and my ds and niece were clear.
My dad's horrendously disabled-cannot walk without elbow crutches, has had several surgeries for scoliosis, caused by the hip issue, nerve damage due to his femurs creating their own sockets in his hips, and several other issues. I'm glad that doctors are so much more clued up on it these days than they were when dad was born in the 1930s!

It's by no means just girls. Plenty of boys affected too.

Every baby in the UK has their hips examined before discharge/ at birth check by MW/GP/paediatric doc. Again by GP at 6-8 weeks and again if suspicions raised to MW/GP/HV.

In my area, referal for ultrasound is made automatically if there's a history of DDH in the family, or if anyone involved in the baby's care is concerned about DDH. Skin creases are mentioned a lot if you google, but notoriously unreliable! Twins/multiples too.

Every baby with suspicion of DDH is scanned with ultrasound by a specialist radiologist (in our area) or radiographer. The hips don't have enough bone at that stage (until about 6 months minimum) to show up subtle deformities on XR. Ultrasound shows the cartilage.

Every baby with DDH is assessed by specialists - either paeds or ortho, with physio input too. May watch and wait if very mild, or have a velco harness for a few weeks (90% get better with this alone).

The 10% left with DDH at that point might need further treatment, including special XR under anaesthetic with an injection of dye into the joint, and plaster casting (spica) Of these 90% need nothing more.

Surgery is only needed for the ones who's problem carries on after this or who aren't picked up till later It's not a big group and your ortho consultant will speak to you if it was to get that far.

XR is pretty pointless under 6 months though, and no need for the radiation dose (although tiny; higgs particle tiny) given USS gives better info.

Even here though, the referral would be to the radiology department. I'd be interested to see what they do in the end.

French doctors took one look at our Irish surname ( in France this condition is perceived as being uniquely "Celtic" ) and sent dd for an x ray when she was two days old. She turned out to have two dislocated hips, but it was rectified with a nappy brace. That took six months.

My brother and cousin were not detected at checkups unfortunately. Both had painful operations when toddlers, and have had subsequent problems in later life.

I am eternally grateful for the doctors's vigilance. I remember my little brother's discomfort so vividly.