our MHCN has picked up that my DS has a "clicky" left hip and suggested we follow-up with our paed. Went to the paed today who agreed that it's "clicky" or "clunky" through the back rotation and wants us to get an ultrasound. We're booked in the u/s on Monday but I guess I was curious... is this something that lots of babies get that proves to be nothing and it's all just precautionary?...Or is there a chance this could be significant of deeper hip issues? I don't want to borrow trouble and I'm trying to think positive, but if I'm honest with myself, it's got me feeling a little uneasy.
Hi Belfie, There is definatley a chance it could be something significant the requires treatment, but then there also the possibility it is nothing to worry about. My daughter had uneven creases, another indicator of hip issues and had further investigation with scans, turned out to be nothing at all. Another 2 babies in MG had hips investigated and all was fine too.
The health system are pretty ontop of hip issues in youngsters because they are generally easier to treat when picked up early. Mf girlfriends DD needed to wear a removable hip brace for 6 months, but this meant she didn't require an operation later in life. (She is 100% totally fine now, caught her first wave on a surfboard age 3 on the weekend. )
So i guess my point is sometimes they are over the top with hip issues, but it is warranted as issues are best picked up early. Best of luck on Monday, hope it is nothing. Of course it is natural to worry but try not too!
It could be hip displasia(sp)/congenetal dislocated hips. It may or may not be an issue.
Your u/s will give them a % on each hip & where the ball sits in the joint I think.
Some babies only require wearing a second nappy to stabilise it a bit, others need a brace for some months.
My DD1 was born with 45% in her right hip & 54% in her left hip. She didn't need anything at all, but my SIL had to wear the brace for 8 months.
It can be hereditary as it is in my XH's family, or it could be something that happened during birth, eg, breech birth.
They nomally check all babies after birth for this condition & thats usually when it is picked up.
There is actually a hip displasia support group in here you could go have a look at.
I'm sure they could answer any of your questions better than me.
My MIL has suffered huge problems with hers & had her first hip replaced at 42 & is over due to get her second done as her father refused to let doctors treat her (lack of trust or something I think), but my BIL & SIL wore the brace & are perfectly fine. Normal active very sporty teenagers.
I'm sure your DS will be fine, but good luck anyway.
The other girls are right, Belfie. A "clicky" hip can be a sign that there is a congenital dislocation of the hip, and the best treatment for that is wearing a brace early in life to support the hip joint as it strengthens. There is certainly a possiblity that the degree of dislocation may not warrant that however.
thanks for the reassurance! What I forgot to say is that i have a girlfriend who's bubba is in a brace, so i was aware that it's DDH they're looking at. The scan referral even says "DDH?"... and even though i know a brace would help, I think my heart was just sinking at the thought of even MAYBE having to go through that - even though it would help it and hopefully prevent further issues!
Falguni - thank, those were lovely stories just what I was hoping to hear! (I'm story fishing really lol)
bjrose - thank you too! I had a quick look at the hip dysplasia support group... but didn't want to bug them when it could easily turn out to be nothing. It's interesting about your SIL and MIL, and yes a good reminder that they check these things for preventative reasons - not just to stress out mummys!
schmickers - thank you, you're looking after all my posts and I'll just think positive thoughts re monday and try not to stress TOO much!
I was told today Harmony has both clicky hips....
Ultrasound at 6 wks for her... She wasn't breach but sat in the breach position for a long time, so he thinks its from that...
keep us updated, and I'm sure our bubs will do fine babe!!!
oh purplemama that's funny you had to google to find this! I've done that before too.
How old is Harmony now? How long do you have to wait?
In our case he wasn't breech, and I've since heard even more nice stories of bubs being checked who went on to be fine as well. I'll let you know how we go.
I was born in 1980 and had 2 clicky hips. They never scanned me, and my mum declined the x-ray (not good for babies and i had even creases) just kept an eye on me i guess. I have had clicky hips all my life since and when i was a teen my doctor thoroughly encouraged horse-riding (which i loved anyway) because it is strengthening for the supporting ligaments and muscles of the hip joints, and told me to sit on the floor with the soles of my feet together as much as possible (i still do this nowadays and it feels soooo comfy to me!). I have shallow hip sockets and they did "lock" sometimes when i was a teen, i assume because they had slipped a little towards dislocation. I was assessed again at 14 and they said either they could put me in a cast for several months or i could go on riding and doing PT exercises and see how i went. I didn't want the cast as it was armpits to ankles (they did say it should have been done earlier if we were going to go that way!) and i didn't want anyone wiping my bum for me! I've never outright dislocated, i run and ride and lift weights (Haven't ridden in a long while though!) and don't "lock" up anymore either.
As i understand from what i've read, if i was born now i'd probably have been treated differently, but i also think that it shows that you can also be completely ok, despite having shallow sockets.
My DD has a clicky left hip also, we have had 1 ultrasound at 6 weeks, but because she was 3 weeks early it was too early to see anything, so she is having another ultrasound today it is nothing serious!
Well it's good news on our front! The unofficial verdict from the u/s was that his hips look fine, everything is where it should be. So I'm very relieved and feeling so lucky.
Interestingly, she did say that they get heaps of babies in for clicky hips, and most of them are fine (that was the info I'd been looking for last week lol)... so Skye & Butterfly Warrior, hoping that's a relief for you too. Also, thanks to Minimatron & others in the hip dysplasia group, they posted some great questions for when you go.... (so hopefully you don't have to wait on results you can find out pretty much on the spot):
? Is the hip in place?
? Does the cup cover the ball?
? Is the ball formed?
? is the cup formed?
? is the hip dislocatable?
? what is the coverage in percentage?
? When/how will we get the results?
thank you for the support everyone, much appreciated
Belfie
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