Hip Dysplasia

Hi everyone,

How was everyones easter - ours was quite and I spent most of it reading New Moon (Twilight fan) in-between trying to keep Hudson entertained.

Some days he is really good, like today he is happy playing with his trains and cars... but other days he just gets so bored and we spend most of the day entertaining him.

We have started letting him go outside now, not in the sand but on the verandah.. he just commando crawls everywhere but seems to use up a bit of that spent up energy, we are totally going to trash his cast by the end of 6 weeks when he gets his new one, He's already wearing holes in the knees!

How does everyone cope with the high chair situation. Hudson can't sit on any chairs at all - at the moment we are propping him up with cushions on the couch but he makes such a mess. Because of his bar between his legs it just makes it so difficult.

I just tried to post a link to my facebook so you guys could see - is there a way to post images on the forum?

Hi Everyone,
Lizy79- We bought a bean bag to prop Hayley into when we were feeding her. We also bought a rocker from Big W that could be propped into a sitting position. The brand is called Childcare.
Rach- Welcome and thanks for the positive message. We are nearly at the end thankfully and I'm glad your DD is going well.
Monica

Hi Everyone,
I hope you are all doing well!
We had our appointment with the ortho surgeon yesterday and the x-ray showed that Hayley's hip is sitting in the socket and so she now is completely out of her brace. The surgeon was very pleased with the x-ray. The first doctor we saw said it looked like the hip had set a fraction high up but it shouldn't be a problem unless her leg starts to go vertical in which case she will need surgery, however when the surgeon looked at the x-ray he said he was really pleased with the result and it all looked really good. I've decided to go with what he said and not get worried about what the first doctor said.
Anyway we go back in 3 months to have another x-ray and just keep it monitored.
Monica

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Hi Everyone,
I hope you are all doing well!
We had our appointment with the ortho surgeon yesterday and the x-ray showed that Hayley's hip is sitting in the socket and so she now is completely out of her brace. The surgeon was very pleased with the x-ray. The first doctor we saw said it looked like the hip had set a fraction high up but it shouldn't be a problem unless her leg starts to go vertical in which case she will need surgery, however when the surgeon looked at the x-ray he said he was really pleased with the result and it all looked really good. I've decided to go with what he said and not get worried about what the first doctor said.
Anyway we go back in 3 months to have another x-ray and just keep it monitored.
Monica

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That is fantastic news! I have appointment with Summer on Monday - her brace has now been on for a month! I hope we have the good news that you did! Fingers crossed!

Hi,

I just found this site tonight and so I am new here. I'm so happy I found all of you to talk to! Just wanted to share my story and talk to some of you ladies for support. My baby is one month old and has the pavlik harness on for 7 days now. They heard the "click/clunk" the day she was born but don't perform ultrasounds at the hospital for that so I called to make an appointment at Children's hospital and they told me I had to wait until she was 14 days old. The day that she got the harness on I was an emotional mess and could hardly pay attention to what the doctor was saying because I was crying so much. This is my 1st baby. I also feel mad at the ob doctor at my visits throughout my prenatal care because she was SO sure that the baby's head was down and let me go 10 days overdue. I had an u/s 2 days before I delivered that showed baby in frank breech position...the same position that she was in at my last u/s 4 mos. earlier. Now both of her hips are messed up. I am absolutely dreading the next brace or next steps that will come after she gets the Pavlik harness off. Do you all know of any baby that had the hips corrected with just the Pavlik harness? Also if your baby wore it did you still put her in her swing or bouncy seat? Did you hold her close to you? I'm just not sure on how to handle her with this harness on...I don't want to interfere with what it is trying to do. Also did you take it off to bath her/him? I have to take it half way off to changer her tee shirt. Sorry for rambling and I hope to hear from some of you soon! Thanks for reading!! Lesa
PS--I hope I am doing/posting this right...I'm not too good with the computer...lol

Hi Lesa - I know it's hard - I too cried for the 1st 24 hours when my daughter was put in her brace. Fortunately she only had a slight click in her left hip ( It was picked up by my G.P when she was 6 weeks old) We went to the Children's hospital (Melb) and they said it was a bit early to put her in a brace and to go back at 12 weeks. At 12 weeks we had to put the brace on. It was not the same one your baby girl is wearing, so perhaps some of the other ladies on the site can help you out with those questions. Let me reassure you it will get easier for you. I remember crying the first time I tried to change Summer's nappy, and I also felt awkward holding her. You will work it out though - and be reassured that your baby is not in any pain! I know that the orthotist at the Melb children's hospital are fantastic - and were happy for me to call them or visit at any time - so make sure if you have any questions you ring your doctors and ask! Summer was able to have her brace off for an hour a day - so that was her time to have a play / kick around and bath.
We went back to the hospital last Monday, the docs were very pleased with the progress and Summer only has to wear the brace at night for another month and hopefully after that we can remove it for good! I do know someone whose baby girl wore the pavlick harness from birth and now at 4 months has moved on to the db bar which will hopefully fix things.
Hope I have helped in some way. I'm not an expert, but sometimes it helps to receive reassurance that everything will be ok.

Lesa - I can completely understand how you are feeling but it does get better. My DD was breech and so had a routine ultrasound at 6wks which picked up hip dysplacia. By 7wks she was in the pavlik harness. The great thing is if it is picked up early like it has been the pavlik harness should be able to correct it. DD was in the harness full time (no bathing allowed just sponge bath) for the first 6 weeks, then allowed out about an hour a day for the next 6 weeks. Then it was just for night time use for a few weeks and by that stage it was fixed. We went for a review 6 mths later and now don't need to go back till she is 5 for another review.

So given it has been picked up really early you may only for looking at a few months in the harness and no further treatment. Fingers crossed. The Children's Hos Melbourne were fantastic.

In terms of closeness, just try and treat her as if she didn't have the harness on I know it is difficult but you get use to it quickly, I found other people more worried about handling her, they just didn't know how to hold her but I encouraged others to hold her and found the best position to hold her was straddled over 1 leg.

If you have any questions please just ask me, more than happy to answer your questions. But you will figure things out quickly.

First of all thank you for responding. When my baby cries or gets upset her legs go straight out to the side and get really stiff....is that normal? Anyways the ortho doctor had told me something about the NEXT brace she will be in. Like I said I was so upset the day that she got the harness I could hardly even hear let alone pay attention to what the doctor was saying and needless to say that the baby's dad wasn't there with me. So I am guessing that this Pavlik harness isn't going to correct it if he is already talking about the next brace that she will be in. I am just so sad for my little one and not to mention that I am going through this alone because her dad is a jerk and I get no emotional support from him. This is very hard for me. All he can say is that the baby is fine and that I worry too much and he gets mad at me if I get upset. I can't express to him how I feel or how worried I am for her. I have to keep it all inside because he gets mad at me. I can't talk to him.
Do you think it's ok to have her in her car seat or her bouncy chair or swing. These things kind up "cradle" her and scrunch her up...if that makes sense.
I just want to thank you ladies again for responding. I really needed someone to talk to.
LESA

Oh Lesa - I feel for you! I know how upset you are feeling, and it doesn't hurt to have a cry. Be assured that the brace is only going to do good. It might take time, but in the end it will be worth it. I was a worrier like you. I thought I had done something wrong, then I was worried about her developing properly ( rolling etc) But you know what - we are mums and it's ok for us to worry and be upset. The way I looked at it in the end, was that at least the problem was being fixed now and not when Summer was older and more aware. Summer is in the different brace ( the DB Bar) but she was still able to sit in her car seat and her swing. I think as long as the top of the hips / legs are in position it should be ok. If you're worried about stuff go back and talk to the doctors too. Are you in Melbourne? If so the children's hospital are fantastic. Keep your chin up - things will get easier. I am here to chat to at any time!

Lesa - she will be fine to be in the car seat, the back straps on the harness means her legs can't go in to far anyway. I didn't use a bouncy chair as she didn't fit properly in the one i had and I avoided anything that let her legs 'hang' ie a swing but that was just me. She spend alot of time on the floor or me holding her.

I'm sorry to hear the father isn't being supportive but trust me it will get easier.

Hi Everyone,
StaceyLee- It was good to hear Summer only has to wear her brace at night now. I am glad that everything is going well.
Lesa- I am sorry to hear that your little baby has been diagnosed with hip dysplasia. I am sorry that I can't give you much advice about the harness as because my daughters dysplasia was not picked up until she was 4 months (only in the right hip) she went into a spica cast for 3 months and then a brace for 2 months after that. I month full time allowed to take it off 1/2 an hour each day for a bath and then 1 month only having to wear it at night. I to cried for days when it first went on but she adapted to it so well and although she was quite difficult to hold and carry at first I eventually got used to it as well. We were able to put her in a car seat we just had to slightly modify it so she could fit in. This was done by the hospital before we left. I never put her in a swing as the cast weighed 1kg which would have pulled down on her and I just avoided those sorts of things while she was in the cast and the brace. Anyway she is now completely out of her brace and has been for two weeks. We have to go back in three months just to monitor it. So even though hers was picked up later then what they like in total she was only in the cast and brace for 5 months which at first seemed like a life time but actually went relatively quick. Hopefully because your babies dysplasia was picked up early she also wont have to be in it very long.
I hope this is of some help and I wish you all the best. I am sorry you don't have the support of the babies father so I am happy to help if you have anymore questions! But it is true, it does get easier!!
Monica

Hi ladies,

How is everyone??

Monica and StaceyLee what kind of brace was your daughter put in? I was told that mine will be put in an abduction brace after 3 more weeks in the Pavlik harness which the doctor told me that her hips are improving.
Does anyone know anything about the abduction brace. They showed it to me at my appointment the other day. i was wondering if it will be harder to get adjusted to ....will it restrict the baby's movement more or less than the Pavlik harness? Is diapering going to be harder?

PS--I am from the United States. Are you all from the USA or from Australia?

Thanks,
Lesa

Bridee,

thank you for the words of encouragement.....
i sure do hope it gets easier. sometimes i feel like a single mom.

much appreciated!

lesa

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Bridee,

thank you for the words of encouragement.....
i sure do hope it gets easier. sometimes i feel like a single mom.

much appreciated!

lesa

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don't feel that way, there are a lot of people around you that are showing care and paying attention to your baby.. those who were willing to help you out, by the way where's your husband?

Hi Lesa,
I am in Australia. Hayley didn't go into a DB brace or a pavlik harness after her cast. She went into what the cast technician said was called a 'broomstick' because it had a thin metal strip from ankle to ankle. They made a mould of her legs in the position that a pavlik harness places them in, with plaster and then made the brace with a type of plastic (it was pretty plastic that had mauve butterflies all over it). It went from the top of her thighs to her ankles and we just slipped her legs into it and then velcroed it up. I tried to google it to see if they had any pictures that you could look at but I couldn't find any. I hope this makes some sense and I also hope you and your DD are doing well and that it is getting easier for you. It is Mother's day here tomorrow so if it is in the US as well I hope you have a great Mother's Day!!
Monica

Hi All,

I am new to this forum and signed up especially to say thank you to everyone for sharing your stories. My baby girl was breech and as a result has hip dysplasia in the left hip.

We were advised to have a 'routine' ultrasound of her hips at 6 weeks (which is when the dysplasia was found) and the same day this was performed, not more than 3 hours later our baby girl had a pavlik harness fitted. I was an emotional mess for 48 hours after it was fitted and when I finally composed myself and researched the harness and condition, I came across this forum. Reading your stories and feeling your strength through your posts, I felt much calmer about my baby's situation and I guess it was a 'relief' to know we were not the only parents going through this and my feelings were normal.

Our precious baby is 8 weeks old in two days and we've had the harness on for 2 weeks tomorrow (yes, I'm counting down the days!!). We're not sure how long she will need to wear the harness (24 hours, 7 days a week), other than being advised the average length of time babies wear the harness is 12 weeks.

All the best to everyone, Natalie

Hi Natalie

We are in the same boat. Was your baby "frank" breech? How bad did the doctor say her condition is?
Mine was frank breech for a long time and due to that both of her hips are bad. She has been in the Pavilik harness for 22 days. At our last visit the doctor said that her hips were improving!!! I was sooooooo relieved to hear that because I always expect to hear the worst. So that should make you feel a little better knowing that this harness actually does do it's job. In 2 more weeks we go back and she gets another ultrasound and the doctor said that she will probably go into a brace called an abduction brace. I will have to give you more details when the time comes for that.
So hang in there... things are going to get better for us!
Does she wear it 24/7? How is bathing going for you? Do you undo the harness to bath her? I undo the top and sponge bath her and then redo the top and then undo the bottom and sponge her legs really quick because I am afraid to have it off too long.
Keep in touch and let me know how it is going for you guys and your little one.

Lesa