His hip pops... Should I be worried

For a couple of weeks now I've occassionally heard a little pop come from DS2's abdomen. I wasn't sure if it was gas (it kinda sounds a little like a tiny fart) or if it was a joint popping. But today I heard it a couple of times and am now almost certain it was his hip joint as he was kicking that leg at the time.

He's been seeing an osteo for wind and I'm wondering if it may have something to do with that? The MCHN has checked his hips and doesn't have any concerns and I've never heard it pop when we're changing his nappy or doing bicycle legs etc, but I have made an appt with the GP for tomorrow JIC. Starting to stress a little now though, should I be worried about hip displacia? Is the GP likely to refer us to a Paed or for US?

ETA: He's a really wiggly baby and has been quite unsettled the last couple of weeks, I can't help but wonder if he is in discomfort because of it.

I wouldn't stress, but do mention it to your dr; they can check things out properly. :)

You'll be best to get an ultrasound for him. My DD clicked and then there was nothing. MCHN couldn't feel a problem and the paed couldn't either but sent us for an u/s anyway and it showed on there.

Get it checked out, it might be absolutely nothing, but if there is a problem, the earlier it's treated, the better the outcome. :hug:

Definitely get it checked again, DD was checked for hip dysplasia by 2 midwives, 2 GP's and 2 MCHN's (we moved when she was little, hence the double up lol!) and none of them thought there was any concern, until I asked for an ultrasound, which showed it. It may be nothing but always worth getting checked. DD never had a click.

Thanks ladies. We went to the GP this morning. She couldn't feel anything wrong, but did say that he held that leg differently, so we've been referred for an ultrasound. I've got it booked for next Tuesday, so fingers crossed we get the all clear.

PacRak and PZ, I was wondering if you could tell me a bit more about your DD's dysplacia. When was it diagnosed? How long did they have to wear the brace for? etc TIA

fingers crossed that you get the all clear. That is great that the GP listened and gave you the referral.

Got my fingers crossed for you hun.

My DD had clicky hips at birth but she wasn't checked again until the u/s at 7 weeks. She had no visible signs of having it and the u/s showed it was severe in both hips (left worse than right). First brace went on for four weeks 24/7 but there was no improvement so she had to have an open reduction (where they operate to put the ball back in the socket) and was in a plaster cast for five weeks. Once the cast came off, she had a final brace on until she was 11 months old.

BUT......DD's case was in the worst 10%. She pretty much had no socket. The socket won't grow unless there is a bone in it, so there was no improvement until the two were forced together in the open reduction. It was long term for us because her hips were terrible. She's now 3 and other than not being able to lift her left leg as high as her right, something only DH and I notice, you can't tell that anything was amiss.

The fact that your DS's hips pop means that there is a ball and socket there and the pop could be something totally unrelated to dysplasia. It could just mean he needs an alignment of some sort that a chiropractor could treat. Try not to worry :hug:

i have my finger's crossed you get the all clear :hug:

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I hope it's nothing but you'll be okay if it is :hug: DD was very squashed in my tummy, I'm short and not a long torso at all, and she was 8lb 9oz. I also have a clicky hip myself so maybe I have it undiagnosed. Anyway, DD didn't have any of the obvious signs, no clicking or anything like that. We had her checked at about 6 weeks by 2 midwives, GP's and MCHN's who all said she was fine, but did note she had uneven fat folds under her bum. So I got a referral from the GP for a scan at the RCH. The wait was until she was about 3 months. We went in expecting nothing and came out with her in a brace which was a huge shock. Basically, her right hip was so severely displaced that the bone was not clicking because it was nearly completely dislocated from the hip and sitting very high. The socket was also quite shallow, in the 20% of worst case scenarios. She was put in a Dennis Brown Bar, which she had to wear 24/7 for about 3 months straight. That was hard, it was summer and hot and we couldn't bathe her, only take it off quickly and wipe her down with a face washer. Then we had another review, and it was responding really well and the socket was getting deeper, so we were allowed 1 hour a day of brace free time a day. The ortho did say we were very lucky and that he had expected some surgery. That was for 2 months, one hour free time. Then we went back for another review, and we're given 4 hours a day at about a month later. When DD was around 9 months old, we got to have the brace off for the whole day and only put it on at night. That's where we are at still. She has a review next week I believe, and it should be off altogether. So 9 months all up of treatment. I believe there are yearly or so reviews too. We've made sure to do things like wear her in the ergo (great positioning for hip babies) and get her on her feet and standing lots to help encourage the joint nice and deep into the socket. She is delayed a bit, has only been crawling a few months, and is only just beginning to explore cruising now at 12 months. She is still ages away from standing unassisted or walking. But the improvements you see are so heartwarming, just small things like rolling or crawling, even if it's late ;)

Thanks for sharing PZ and PacRak, it really does sound like a tough journey, you are both amazingly strong. So am I right in my understanding that the brace basically restricts all leg movement? Does this lead to muscle deterioration?

The brace puts their legs into a position where it forces the ball into the socket. Legs end up on pretty full on angles, the best way I can describe it is almost frog like. DD had no muscle deterioration at all and required no physio either, but sometimes it can happen. She learned to commando crawl, roll and sit up in the second brace and she walked just before turning 18 months.

It doesn't restrict all movement - the straps that held DD's legs in place covered her thigh, so she could wriggle around her legs from knee down. The only time she was completely restricted was in the plaster cast.

Once the brace went on, we needed four adjustments over four weeks to gradually pull the legs up into position. If they do it in one shot, it can hurt baby and by doing it gradually, the muscles work with the brace, not against it. I could still b/f, we used the same pram and same car seat without any issues.

Yep what Pac said. We did need a new pram but not car seat because of DD's brace, must be different for everyone because we tried so many different ones and she only fit in one. DD also did have some muscle atrophy and does have physio. It's not severe though, she just needs to exercise her legs as much as possible.

Yeah I'm a bit worried about the pram and car seat... I remember you saying PZ that there was no way the brace would work with the bugaboo donkey. I also use the capsule heaps for doing pick ups and drop offs with DS1 and I doubt that will work either... Anyway, hopefully I'm getting ahead of myself and it will all turn out to be ok, I just don't have a very good feeling about it. He really does hold that leg differently and it seems a lot more flexible in its movement (stretches out further etc) than the other.

Like I said, some people have no issues. But the Donkey is very narrow...but it may work. DD was generally older than other babies diagnosed and she had long legs at the time.

Good luck on tues hon

How did you go hun?

Thanks for checking in, I've been mean to come in and update you guys. We had the scan on Tuesday which was ok. I was a little bit concerned because the technician had said that the left hip was immature (the socket had measured at 55, when it should be 60 like the right one). She did tell me that it wasn't dysplacia though, but wouldn't offer any real explanation about what it meant for it to be immature. But we went to the GP yesterday to get the results and she told me it was nothing to worry about and that his hips are fine, so that was a big relief!

Great news!