Hip Dysplasia

Hi. I'm new on here. This site is so huge - I hope I'm posting this message in the right spot:D

I'm just really looking for some answers. Last Tuesday my 9mth (28/8/06) old daughter Sophie was fitted with a Rhino brace for hip dysplasia. It was quite a shock as she'd been diagnosed at 4mths and seeing they didnt' do anything I thought she would be ok at her next check up. But it wasn't. I spent the next 2 days in tears and trying to work my head around "the brace". It's been a week now and I'm feeling so much better and it's so reassuring to see Sophie adapt so well to the brace. She's a little trooper and hasn't really shown any signs of it interfering with her little life .... except sleeping! Both her and I haven't slept in a week! She naps ok through the day. But ... she keeps waking every 1/2 hour through the night and I was wondering is this normal? Is it the brace? Does it get easier? Are there any solutions to help her sleep better or sleeping positions? Also, whilst I'm asking questions - how long did your children have to be in the brace and if so - did they crawl/walk etc whilst wearing it? Sorry about all the questions. Susan

Hi Susan,
There is a hip dysplasia support thread if you scroll down the main page a bit. I'm sorry to hear youre having such a hard time of it all. I wish i could give you advice on the sleeping issue, but my little one is only 8 weeks old, and only sleeps for 4 hours max with the pavlik harness on, but i dont think it means anything coz shes so young> Sorry.
Come join us:)
cheers
melissa

Hi,
I know this thread is quite old but i was hoping to find out what happened with you daughter and her hip problems? My daughter is 6 months and has had 2 previous checks and they believed her hips were improving by themself so like you when we went on Monday and found there is a problem it was a big shock...

She has had the brace on since we went on monday and she seems to be ok with it but is having issues with sleeping as well... she is waking frequently during the night and i cannot settle her back to sleep in her own bed, the only way i can get any sleep is to bring her to my bed. I am finding this very distressing and am concerned about her development being delayed but also about her emotional development...

Do you have any tips for how i can help her be a bit more comfortable at night? Also i would like to know how your daughter is now? Was it a long process? Did she walk or crawl in the brace?

I hope that this gets to someone??

Thanks Emma.

Hi Emma. Great that you posted on here. It's been awhile since I've been here.

Sophie is doing wonderful. She's been out of the brace 9 months now and within 4 months of being out of the brace she had totally caught up to her peers. Walking, running, jumping etc. Within 11 weeks she started walking. You look back now and you wouldn't have even known that she had any problems with her hip. She came out of the brace when she was 15mths old and we went back to the O/S when she was 2 years old and he gave her the perfect result we wanted to hear. I burst out into tears and cried all the way home! He said the only problem she will face later in life is with her children and that they are to be x-rayed no matter what at 2 months of age (boy & girl). He also said too, that h/d is more prevalent in first cousins.

Sleep was a problem at the start. I remember bringing her into bed with me too and laying her on my tummy which seemed the only way to help her sleep (not me though!!!:redface:). It only took 1 week - 10 days for her to adjust in her cot - in the end I had to get tough (as I was so sleep deprived!) and let her cry it out. She was sleeping thru before the brace went on - so I knew she could do it. Also, I placed a rolled up towel under her feet (under the sheet) as I found her feet dangled in the air without it. This just helped her feet rest flat. Also I introduced a pillow to make life a little more comfortable for her.

Sophie learnt to bum shuffle in her brace. It was so funny, but they do learn to adjust so quickly (more than the mum and dad) and get around in their own little way. Towards the end too she was pulling herself up to stand in the brace. She was in the brace 7 months total (8mths - 15mths). We did see a change in her personality once she came out of the brace (maybe that was just Sophie - not sure if the others had the same). But she just seemed to come out of her shell, be more happy, mischievious:rolleyes:, smile etc. She was quite a serious little girl in her brace, with not too many smiles. I thought that was just her personality - but it obviously was having some effect on her.

The only thing development wise she struggled with was rolling. They can learn to roll in the brace (the o/s said they can do anything in the brace that other kids do) - Sophie just couldn't do it. When the brace came off (which too was hard - was just as traumatic as when the brace went on!) she struggled sleeping as she would move around in the cot so much (where as before she was just stuck in the 1 position) and get stuck in various positions and then was unable to get herself out as she couldn't roll. It only took a week or so for her to learn to roll - but like at the start (when the brace went on) it was very tough to get any sleep.

Now it's all a thing of the past. I'm so grateful now that they found the hip dysplacia when she was a baby and everything is fixed!

Hope I've helped. Feel free to ask more questions, cry with us, share, celebrate etc. I found this forum invaluable and the ladies on here are just wonderful.
love and huge humungous hugs
Susan
xxxx

My daughter should have had the brace when she was little but that never happened when she was with her birth parents so now that she is growing badly we are having a lot of issues and possibly facing surgery with in a couple of years (hopefully her second skin suit and AFO's (ankle-foot orthotics) will delay surgery or prevent it altogether, but unlikely).
So no matter how tough things get it is a lot better for both bubs and the family to go through the braces now as opposed to surgery and pain latter on. Your bubs wont remember the brace in a few years but if they have to have surgery they will have scares for life.


Good luck to you and bubs.

Sjl

Hi Susan!

Thanks so much for your reply... You have made me feel alot better about Charlotte's situation... So far she is not doing anything much in the brace and is not tolerating being on her stomach much...

I had a great night with her last night, i folded a big quilt up into 4 and put it under the sheet in her cot because the previous night she would not sleep at all and i, like you had to have her in bed with me... The softness seems to have supported her legs a bit and made her a bit more comfy and she slept right through!!

I think i have come to terms with the delays in development and everyone i speak to has advised me that they catch up really quickly so that is the main thing! I am still a little concerned about her emotional development like as you said with Sophie, Charlotte seems to have become a little less happy and i struggle to get her to smile and giggle now so i am hoping that this will improve as well.

I see a big change in her when i give her the hour a day without the brace, she is sooooo happy and playful and stuff... i am hoping that it is just an adjustment phase because it has only been 5 days...

Anyway! Only time will tell i guess so i will keep you updated and thanks again for your advice/ support! It really helps to know that Charlotte is not the only baby with this problem and having this brace!

Thanks Again!

Emma.

My daughter was detected with HDD when she was 5 months old. We had her in the plaster for 3 months and just last week she was put in Dennis Browne braces. She was pretty unsettled for a couple of days but is alright now.
Well now that she is 8 months old, I need to know as what best can I do for her development. Could someone please advise on what all can I do. Do kids start crawling and walking in these braces?? Being a mum, just a bit concerned with her development....

PS: Anyone having questions re Plaster also known as harness, please feel free to post your questions. Will be more than happy to help ....
Thanks..

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My daughter was detected with HDD when she was 5 months old. We had her in the plaster for 3 months and just last week she was put in Dennis Browne braces. She was pretty unsettled for a couple of days but is alright now.
Well now that she is 8 months old, I need to know as what best can I do for her development. Could someone please advise on what all can I do. Do kids start crawling and walking in these braces?? Being a mum, just a bit concerned with her development....

PS: Anyone having questions re Plaster also known as harness, please feel free to post your questions. Will be more than happy to help ....
Thanks..

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Hi!

My daughter is 7 months and has been in the dennis brown for 6 weeks... she cannot crawl yet (might not have been anyway) but i give her plenty of time on her tummy on the floor and she now does full crcles and can move backwards... just not forwards yet! And also she can sit up unsupported with the brace because it actually aids balance... i have found that since she has been sitting up she has been much happier because she can see around and be a bit more independant...

I have spoken to my orthotics lady and she said that lots of babies learn to move in the brace, commando crawling (with arms) bum shuffles from sitting position and she said that sometimes babies will stand in the brace against furniture and try to walk. She actually told me that they can get too strong for the dennis brown when tey start trying to walk and when that happens there is another brace they can use which allows them slightly more mobility and they can walk... (albeit the walking is like a cowboy because of the brace)!

My daughter has not let the brace stop her from exploring and whilst it may mean she is slower to do some things she is doing things that some babies her age are not ie. sitting...

also i think less mobility will mean that their cognitive development may develop faster and they may be able to do mroe with their hands etc...

Anyway... that is my experience thus far...

on a more sombre note at my appointment yesterday the orthotics lady also told me that it is unlikely that 3 months will fix my daughter with the brace and that it is usually more like 9 or 12... kinda depressing really...i had to buy her a new high chair and pram because of issues with getting her into it... and now it looks as if its going to be going on until at least her first birthday... it is a slow process! I am told that they do catch up fast once they are out but hoestly i dont feel like she is missing anything yet she plays on the floor and is moving really well, she is happy and that is the main thing!

Good luck!

Hi Emma,

Yeah, even my daughter moves a bit backwards when on tummy...but wonder why don't they move forward!!
hmm it is kinda sad to know that our little ones will be in braces on their 1st b'day but the way I convince myself is that after all this treatment they will be up and running and then no looking back.....
So how do you keep her busy....I thought of going to playgroup but 'cause she can't move around much...I want another good idea to keep her happy...any advise on this one...
Well maybe you are right....doesn't feel as if our kids are missing on anything but maybe I feel guilty when I see other kids moving around....

Regards

just thought i would let you know. my dd2 was in a denis brown from 6 months to 11months (it fixed it that time) and durring this time she learnt to sit her self up in it, roll in it, wiggle forward and backwards in it. i took her to play group and she love that something different. I did have to get a different car seat to fit her in and a stroller to as she could not fit in the ones i had. I ended up with a maxi rider which at 5 she is still sitting in.

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Hi Emma,

Yeah, even my daughter moves a bit backwards when on tummy...but wonder why don't they move forward!!
hmm it is kinda sad to know that our little ones will be in braces on their 1st b'day but the way I convince myself is that after all this treatment they will be up and running and then no looking back.....
So how do you keep her busy....I thought of going to playgroup but 'cause she can't move around much...I want another good idea to keep her happy...any advise on this one...
Well maybe you are right....doesn't feel as if our kids are missing on anything but maybe I feel guilty when I see other kids moving around....

Regards

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i know what you mean, i still feel like that a bit too...

sometimes its a bit hard to keep her occupied, i try to vary what she does. she goes onthe floor a fair bit with plenty of toys so that will keep her occupied for a while on her tummy, then when she has enough of that i sit her up on the floor surrounded with cushions and toys and she sits for a while longer...

i also sit her in her high chair with kitchen objects like tubs, spoons lids etc so she is happy to sit banging them for a while too...

i also try to go out for at least a half hour walk with her every day in the pram...

i think backwards movement is easier than forward to start with, but i think maybe my daughter might learn to commando crawl or soemthing...

i m disappointed at the thought she might still be in it at her first birthday as well because by then most other babies her age will be walking etc... but i think the same that she will be fixed and wont have to have surgery or anything so that makes it easier to bear!

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just thought i would let you know. my dd2 was in a denis brown from 6 months to 11months (it fixed it that time) and durring this time she learnt to sit her self up in it, roll in it, wiggle forward and backwards in it. i took her to play group and she love that something different. I did have to get a different car seat to fit her in and a stroller to as she could not fit in the ones i had. I ended up with a maxi rider which at 5 she is still sitting in.

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Hi there,

Emma and myself are sailing in the same boat as of now and I am very happy to hear your comment :p . But I wonder how do they roll / turn when their Denis Brown brace is on...it is tough to turn with legs apart....isn't it :rolleyes:!!
Do u have any tips on how to encourage kids to sit / roll / stand by themselves...

Cheers..

Hi Emma,

Thanks for those tips on keeping our little ones busy....I shall now try all my kitchen (safe) stuff....

Hi all,

Just wondering how everyone is going now with their babies in spica/braces/surgery...

Charlotte is doing well, still got over a month until our next check up to see how she is going, i think she is tracking well, she can sit up but cannot pull herself up from lying down yet, she can move around alot on her tummy, she is actually getting up onto all fours trying to crawl but is unsuccessful because she can't move her legs independantly of each other... so hopefully she will try something else... perhaps commando crawling... not sure, i would love to see her find her way around a bit!

Anyway, havent heard from anyone in a while and was just wondering how we are all going?

Hi Everyone,
Emma- It is good to hear that Charlotte is doing well in her brace!
Hayley had her spica changed on the 6th and we go back in on the 4th to get her measured up for her brace which she will go into in 4 weeks. I am so looking forward to that as at least we can take that off for 1/2 an hour a day and give her a bath and she can go back to swimming lessons which she loved.
She isn't moving at all because the cast is too heavy so we are hoping that once the brace goes on she will get a bit more mobile.
She doesn't have alot of tummy time anymore because we have had trouble with her feet swelling (with the new spica they left her feet out because of the swelling) and when she is on her tummy they start to go a purple colour, but she is very happy and we try to put her in as many different positions as possible but mostly we have to keep her feet slightly raised.
She has adapted very well and she is a very happy baby which is good.
I look forward to hearing more updates!
Monica

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Hi Everyone,
Emma- It is good to hear that Charlotte is doing well in her brace!
Hayley had her spica changed on the 6th and we go back in on the 4th to get her measured up for her brace which she will go into in 4 weeks. I am so looking forward to that as at least we can take that off for 1/2 an hour a day and give her a bath and she can go back to swimming lessons which she loved.
She isn't moving at all because the cast is too heavy so we are hoping that once the brace goes on she will get a bit more mobile.
She doesn't have alot of tummy time anymore because we have had trouble with her feet swelling (with the new spica they left her feet out because of the swelling) and when she is on her tummy they start to go a purple colour, but she is very happy and we try to put her in as many different positions as possible but mostly we have to keep her feet slightly raised.
She has adapted very well and she is a very happy baby which is good.
I look forward to hearing more updates!
Monica

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Monica that is such great news that you only have four weeks left before geting Hayley into a brace! At first for me it was a bit hard but Charlotte is fine with the brace and i think that hayley will be fine too! She will be alot happier to be able to move more and will start getting more strength... they say babies in spica and brace end up stronger in the back and neck because they cant use there legs as much!

we go back in march for our first xray since she went into the brace so i am looking forward to finding out how it is working, fingers crossed it will be helping alot and hopefully they can give me an idea of a timeframe then... i guess my worst fear is that they will say it hasnt worked at all and she needs surgery...

how old is hayley now? i wonder how old they will be when they are brace/spica free????? i really wanted charlotte to be out when she was 1 but i dontthink that will happen...

Hi Emma,
Hayley is 6 1/2 months now so she has been in her cast for 2 months. How old is Charlotte?
I'm pretty sure Hayley will be fine in her brace but we are wondering if once it comes off for 1/2 an hour each day she might get upset when we try to put it back on again.
Do you find this with Charlotte or is she ok with putting it back on?
When the surgoen changed Hayley's cast he said the hip felt stable in the socket which he was pleased with. We have been told she will be in the brace for 2 months if all goes well so hopefully she will be out of it completely by the time she is about 9 months.
I can understand why they say they have a strong neck and head. Hayley has amazing head control and lots of people comment on it. When on her back she lifts her head and as much of her back as she can off the ground as if trying to sit up and she can hold herself up like that for ages!
All my best wishes for you and I hope that Charlotte is out of her brace for her 1st birthday. Keep me posted with how you are both going!!
Monica

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this website and very happy and relieved to find a forum with other mums and bubs going through the same thing.

I have a 6 1/2month old who has HD and has been in a brace for 2 1/2 months. I was told at the onset that she had a severe form of HD and that she would be in the brace for 6 months. Of course I was upset to hear this but thought as long as she doesnt have anything life threatening we would get through it. We have not been able to take the brace of at all not even for a bath which has been challenging through summer. But my little angel has taken to the brace really well and has been her same smiling self which has made it much easier for all of us:)

Yesterday we had the routine monthly ultrasound and appointment with her Orthopaedic Surgeon (OS) and was told that her hips are not improving and will need to have a procedure done in hospital to see if the hip is sitting deep enough in the socket and will need to be in a plaster cast for 6 weeks. I just burst into tears in the OSs office.

I am so sad about this and wanted to know if anyone has gone through a similar thing? We are waiting to get another opinion and am anxious about her being under anasthetic.

I hope someone can shed some light and support.
Caraash

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Hi Emma,
Hayley is 6 1/2 months now so she has been in her cast for 2 months. How old is Charlotte?
I'm pretty sure Hayley will be fine in her brace but we are wondering if once it comes off for 1/2 an hour each day she might get upset when we try to put it back on again.
Do you find this with Charlotte or is she ok with putting it back on?
When the surgoen changed Hayley's cast he said the hip felt stable in the socket which he was pleased with. We have been told she will be in the brace for 2 months if all goes well so hopefully she will be out of it completely by the time she is about 9 months.
I can understand why they say they have a strong neck and head. Hayley has amazing head control and lots of people comment on it. When on her back she lifts her head and as much of her back as she can off the ground as if trying to sit up and she can hold herself up like that for ages!
All my best wishes for you and I hope that Charlotte is out of her brace for her 1st birthday. Keep me posted with how you are both going!!
Monica

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Hey Monica, so sorry for the delay in response! I have moved house and lost my internet!
Charlotte is fine with going back into the brace after bath time, was a bit tough at first but fine now! She started crawling in the brace this week which is really exciting!!
We have our 3 month check on Friday so fingers crossed it goes ok!

I hope all is well!

Hi everyone

I'm new too and registered as I Googled HD and came up with this forum - after reading all the posts I decided to join.

A bit about me and my DS...

DS (yes a boy and apparently VERY rare to have HD) was diagnosed with HD last Nov after I noticed he limped when he walked (DOB 29/05/07). It took one month to get into the local paedatrician and get a referral to the Children't hospital Princess Margaret (PMH)- we just rec'd a letter yesturday that we have our initial appt at PMH in one month. It says that DS will require x-rays and the appt will take up most of the afternoon (we live 5hrs away). I assume at this appointment that they will advise us of the next step, which from what I have read/heard from others is a cast, I just Googled images of these casts and got quite upset... I have been pretty ok up until this stage but scared myself with the pics of all these immobilised babies... I just dont know how we are going to cope - our DS is 21 months old at the moment...has anyone else gone through this with an older baby???

Both me and DP work full time too - so not sure how we are going to manage that one either??

Just hearing everyones stories I think will make me feel a little better - and not so alone

Hi Everyone,
I hope you are all doing well.
Emma- I am glad to hear that Charlotte is crawling. I hope all goes well on Friday. Let me know how it goes. Hayley is finally out of her cast and in her brace and has been now for nearly 2 weeks (very glad to see the back of that!). 3 days after the brace went on she started rolling over and now has that down to a fine art. It is so good to start seeing her be able to move a little. She has had a couple of x-rays both of which the surgeon has been pleased with. We go back on the 18th and hopefully then she will only have to wear the brace at night. Hayley has been ok with going back into her brace after her bath but she is only allowed to have it off for 1/2 an hour so it might be different when she stops wearing it during the day.
Welcome Caraash and Lizy79- My daughter Hayley was diagnosed with hip dysplasia of the right hip at 4 months and went into a spica cast for 3 months. She is now in brace and has to wear that for another 2 months. At first it was very hard and I cried alot.Hayley was very distressed when she came out of recovery and no matter what we did we couldn't get her to settle. Our surgeon told us that they adapt remarkably well and she did. By the next day she had stopped crying but she wasn't smiling alot however 48 hours later she was her normal happy self. It took myself and my husband alot longer to adapt but we did eventually. You can't bath them while thay are in a cast so Hayley had to have a sponge bath. It did affect her night sleeping. She went from going down easily and sleeping through to not wanting to go to bed and waking alot during the night. We were told to expect this and she is only now starting to sleep better at night.
I was also very anxious about Hayley going under anaesthetic and it is so hard and upsetting watching the surgeon carry your baby into theatre (because of her age we were not allowed to go in with her while they put her under). Hayley has been put under 3 times now (at 7 weeks she had a hernia repair and twice for the original cast and then a new one 6 weeks later). She has no reactions to the anaesthetic but does get upset when she comes out of it and cries in recovery. She takes a little while to settle again but overall she is fine.
Lizy79- I am sorry I can't give you any advice on an older child going into a cast. I also live in Perth and have been going to PMH for all Hayley's treatment. The cast technician who put on Hayley's original cast is so lovely and helpful. Her name is Scott and she came and saw me prior to the cast going on and answered all my questions. She also came and saw us after the surgery and to go over everything with us. Though I am not sure if you will see her at the intial consult. We have nothing but praise for the people we have so far dealt with at PMH. We are private so have mainly been dealing with one ortho surgeon but occasionally have had to see others and thay have all been very helpful. It will take up most of the afternoon. Our appointments are usually at 2.30pm and we don't leave until about 4.30-5.00pm. Try and get there a bit earlier as parking is terrible. Hayley had already started to roll when the cast went on so she was very upset at not being able to move. I hate to say it but your DS will probably be very upset about being immobilised but so many people told us how quickly they adapt and it was so true. Being older and stronger (Hayley was only 4 months when it first went on and is now 8 months) he may be able to eventually move himself around with the cast on.
I hope this helps and good luck with it all. I hope it all goes well at your next appointments. If you have any more questions please feel free to ask.
Monica

Hi Monica,
Thank you so much for your reply. I feel a little better having found out more info on HD and the spica cast. I have to say that I felt a little in the dark after my appoint on Friday. I have spent the last few days since trying to gain as much info that is comfortable for me knowing-I think too much may freak me out!!
My beautiful girl is due for the procedure March 23. I almost feel as though I want it to come around already so we can get on with it. The anticipation is always the worst part.
You must feel great to be progressing so well. Its nice to hear some positive stories :)
Do you have any tips on how to keep them stimulated while being flat on their backs? Before the brace went on my 6 month old started rolling, but she hasnt at all since (2.5 months). Can they sit in the cast? Doesnt look like it? I feel like shes starting to get frustrated becasue she wants to sit and be more mobile. Did you say that they can actually crawl in the cast?
Sorry I have lots of questions.
Thanks again for the support.
Caraash :)

Hi,

I'm glad you say the PMH are nice - you just never know these days... Im sure it will make it easier having caring staff.

Can ask how you all cope with the cast during summer and this awful heat? Does it get smelly?? Are there any tips or hints??

Hi Caraash,
I hope you are well. I know exactly how you feel when you say you wish it would come around now so you can get on with it. I felt the the same because at least then we had made a start.
Hayley wasn't able to sit in her first two casts as they went from just above her waist down to her toes so she wasn't able to move at her waist. We moved her around alot so she wasn't always laying down. We bought a small bean bag and that worked really well in being able to prop her up. She can't go in a high chair either because her cast (and her brace too) had a bar across it so we either propped her in a rocker or her bean bag to feed her. The rocker we bought was a Childcare brand from Big W. We also carried her around a bit and gave her tummy time which she wasn't too keen on. Her last cast just went from the tops of her legs to her toes and with that one she was able to sit as her waist was no longer restricted.
Hayley had began to roll over when her cast went on and was then completely immobile as it was just too heavy for her to move. Her first cast weighed 900g. She has been in her brace for two weeks now and has been able to roll over for the last week, but I'm afraid that she wasn't able to move at all in the cast.
Children wouldn't be able to crawl properly in the casts but I would think that older children that go into them might be strong enough to pull them and maybe commando crawl but I'm not 100% sure. Hayley went into her cast at 4 months and came out of it at 7 1/2 months so didn't have the strength to move around in it.
One of the major problems with the cast is trying to keep it clean. We bought Huggies newborn nappies to stuff into the cast and then used the bigger nappy to wrap around the top of it and changed her nappy often so it wouldn't leak into the cast. The hospital staff used sanitary pads to stuff into the cast but we found the newborn nappies worked better.
It will be very hard to see your beautiful little girl in the cast and it is very upsetting, especially becuase they are so upset when they first get it on but our surgeon and the cast technician told us the children adapt very quickly and they were right. Within about 48 hours Hayley was her normal self. Although my husband and I hated the cast and are so glad to see the back of it, it did the job it was supposed to do because so far all her x-rays have come back positive and we are happy about that.
If you have any more questions please feel free to ask I will be happy to help you as best I can. I will be thinking about you on the 23rd and I wish you all the best. Let me know how it all goes. I hope this has been of some help.
Monica
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Hi Lizy79,
We didn't go out much this summer as the cast gets quite hot. If we did go out it was in the morning so we could be back in time before the heat really set in. Our airconditioner got a real workout this summer. I dress her in a lot of those little suits that button up under the nappy and I found that her normal size would still fit over the cast so I didn't have to go out and buy bigger clothes.
Hayley had a change of cast at 6 weeks and it was staring to get smelly in the last week. We changed her nappy a lot to try and stop leaking but it still happened occasionally no matter how hard we tried for it not too. We would stuff a newborn nappy into the cast (Huggies) and then place the bigger nappy over the top. You have to stuff something into the cast otherwise all the urine just runs into the back of it. The staff at PMH used sanitary pads but the newborn nappy worked much better. Her second cast was changed after 4 weeks and her last cast she had on for only 2 weeks so those two never got smelly.
I am happy to answer any more questions that you have and I hope everything goes well. Keep us posted!
Monica
XXX

Hi everyone,

Thought i would send a quick update about Charlotte, we went for her check up yesterday after 3 months in the DBB. It was better than i expected, she has got good coverage now but the sockets are still a little flat, so they are keeping her in the brace but this time just 8 weeks and then another checkup, hopefully then it will be gradually weaned! Fingers crossed!
I was please with her progress and really happy that she only has to do another 8 weeks this time!
Also just a bit of a funny note, charlotte's brace size got put up again and he told me she is now in the biggest one they have which usually accomodates 12 month old! She is too tall! So i asked what would happen if she still needs it for longer and they are not sure! I think there is a different kind that they can put her in instead but i just thought it was funny/strange that she is in the largest one already!

Anyway, i hope everyone else's babies are going good and developing well! I am quite pleased with Charlotte's progress and hoping to get the brace off during the day in 8 weeks!

Emma xx

Hi Emma,
I am glad to hear that everything is going really well with Charlotte. I hope all goes well at your next visit as well!
Monica

Hi Monica,
Well yesterday was the big day and as you can imagine we were quite nervous and emotional. The anaethetist told us that L would need both a general and spinal block-my husband and I went white! We had no idea that a spinal was part of the procedure. Anyway we didnt want her to be in any pain so we went along with what the anathetist suggested. We waited to be called into the rcoverey and when we went down to get her we were bracing ourselves for the cast and a screaming child. I didnt see a cast.
Confused I asked if they would be putting the cast on later and the nurse said "no, the surgeon will be here soon to talk to you." I nearly had a heart attack waiting for him as we were expcting him to come back and tell us that it was worse than he initially thought and a more serious operation was needed.
He finally came in and said that when he injectd the dye he saw that the ball was well covered with cartlidge that had not yet formed into bone and therefore had not been picked up on the ultrasound.
So, no incision was needed, no manipulation and no spica cast!! She was fitted with a Rhino brace and discharged that afternoon We were both in shock. I think we are still in shock. She will be in the cast for 3 months 23-24 hrs/day-which we are used to. But the best thing is that we can finally bath her daily-I am SO SO thankful.
Thank you for your support over the last few weeks-it has meant a lot to me.

Hi everyone,

well we just got back from our PMH appt today - the staff were lovely and jsut as helpful as everyone had said. We have DS booked in for Tuesday next week to have his surgery and put on his cast, must admit we're not looking forward to it... I think the look on his face when he wakes up with the cast on will be the killer.

caraash - thats fantastic news!!! I'm so glad for you both - what a lovely surprise =]

Glad to see that everyones progress is so good, gives hope to those of us who are still at the beginning stages.

I have a question about the nappies.. is it best to use Huggies? We currently use toddler Huggies and we're told by PMH to buy the next size up... we were looking into the newborn nappy under the cast - but I'm sure your aware how expensive they are... if its worth buying them then thats fine but if other brands are just as good then we might try those. Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks :)

Hi Everyone,
Caraash- I was so happy for you when I read your post. You must have been so relieved when you found out your DD didn't have to have the cast put on.
Lizy79- I will be thinking about you next Tuesday. It will be hard seeing your DS in the cast so if you have any questions please feel free to ask! We used the Huggies newborn as we were told they were the best to use by someone else that had been through it. Prior to the cast going on Hayley was wearing infant size and we had to go up to toddler size to fit around the cast so that was an increase of two sizes. We actually didn't have to buy many of the toddler size as we found the newborn nappies absorbed most of her urine and the toddler nappy was still clean. I would put a new toddler size nappy on each night after her sponge bath and again in the morning as I would find that there was usually a bit of urine on it after she had slept all night. So really we were using the newborn nappies mostly as they were getting changed more regularly. I think we only bought two boxes of toddler nappies and that lasted us the 3 months the cast was on and we still have half a box left which I have put away for when she grows into them. I'm not sure if any other brands work as effectively as the Huggies. We got a sample of the Woolworths Select brand nappies in the mail and I used that a few weeks ago and it seemed to absorb well but I'm not sure what it would be like in the cast.
An update on Hayley's progress- We had our appointment last Wednesday and it was good news. Everything is going well and she now only has to wear her brace at night. We were so happy as it is so nice to see her kicking and moving around. She was all smiles when we walked out of the hospital. She has started rolling and although she doesn't weight bear very well on her legs we have noticed that it has improved over the week. We go back on the 21st and hopefully it can come off completely then.
I wish everyone the best and let us know how everything is going!
Monica
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Hi everyone - I am new to this site, finding it after searching for any info I could on hip dysplasia. When my daughter Summer was 6 weeks old, my brilliant GP detected a slight click in her left hip, that the M&CH nurse didn't. At her 6 week ultrasound they were not too concerned bc of her age. A few days ago we returned to the children's hospital for a 12 week check up. They told us there had not been much improvement - diagnosing mild hip dysplasia of the left hip. They then sent us to orthotics to have her brace fitted - a Dennis Brown Bar DB Bar. I think I was just in shock - hadn't prepared myself for it. Then I was bombarded with so much info as you all would have been from changes I would need to make from breastfeeding to her clothes. I had a good old cry and felt great sadness for 24 hours, but after reading all your entries I realise Summer is very lucky. You are all very strong women, and have given me the strength to work through this with my beautiful daughter.

Hi StaceyLee,
Welcome to the site:) You must have been shocked and its always hard-no matter what the severity-to see your little child be fitted with a brace. It is a big adjustment to life but thankfully the children seem to get used to their new situation quite quickly. I think its always harder on the parents. You'll find you'll adapt and it will become very easy-good luck.
Caraash

Hi Lizy79,
I just wanted to wish you a BIG good luck for tomorrow. I hope you're feeling ok today-probably some relief that it will be over with tomorrow.
We are thinking of you :) and let us know how it all goes.
Caraash

Hi everyone, (bit long sorry)

Thanks caraash for your best wishes... I was thinking of you all this week and even mentioned this forum to the nurses - best tips and hints ever!

Welcome StaceyLee - I'm fairly new too, all the ladies on here are lovely and great for asking advice... they all respond quickly too. Feel free to ask me anything though... wish we had your GP, our never picked anything up, neither did the clinic nurse.

Ok, so we got back late last night after 3 days and 2 nights in PMH. We arrived on Monday for the blood test and then were admitted on Tuesday for the op. Hudson went in at 1.15 and was out of the op just before 3 - the lead up was horrible and DP and I have just been terrible to each other over the last week.

When Hudson got out of his op the Dr said that they only had to nip his tendon and manipulate his hip into the socket space, it went in easily and avoided the more invasive procedure - thankfully!! Hudson was doped up to the eyeballs and just went in and out of sleep until the next morning...

When he woke Wednesday morning we braced ourselves for the tantrum to end all tantrums.... but nothing ever came, he has been so good about it and was more concerned about his drip than the cast. He calls the cast his 'shoes' and says 'shoes stuck' but only winges every now and then, more from bordem than anything. Fingers crossed this will continue.

His cast is from just under his rib cage down both legs all the way to his toes. There is a bar from ankle to ankle and his legs are splayed so far apart they nearly rest on the ground when he is laying on his back. This was a surprise for us as we thought he would be in more of a sitting position. He is really hard to carry and HEAVY. We had his pram modified with a board for his legs to rest on and we had to rent a carseat as ours wasn't suitable.

Now we are home and while I'm at work during the day DP looks after Hudson then DP goes to work at night - I day down, about 83 to go.

I think my little man is now my new hero =]

By the way - for any others going in with older toddlers, take a portable DVD player! If not for your child then maybe for you at night (with earphones). Saved our lives... in a 6 bed ward there was only one tv and we couldn't see it from our angle.

Hi Everyone,
I hope you and your bubs are all doing well!
Lizy79- I am so glad Hudson's procedure went well and what a brave little boy for not letting it bother him too much. The cast sounds exactly like the first one Hayley went into and it is so cute he refers to it as his 'shoes'. I wish you all the best and let us know how he is progressing.
I wish you all a lovely Easter!
Monica

Hi all,

I thought I would share my story...My DD Leila was diagnosed at birth by the paediatrician with hip dis. When first told the news of this I burst in to tears...worried...unsure I guess but then was explained it was kinda a given since the 37 week ultrasound we had found she had decided head down was not the way for her and turned to breech. I had a CS a week later. All good, recovered fast except for the excess weight lol still going on that department! Anyways Leila was in the pavlik harness from about day 3-4?. Can't quite remember. Before we got it thought we were encouraged to use a double nappy apparently the old fashioned way from the harnesses these days and that Leila was to sleep on her tum next to someone. This was done much to the midwifes disagreement. But 9 weeks later and only about 24 hours all up out of it, thats right no bath...just wash downs except for when she pooed all over it!!! Middle of winter difficult to dry I had it haning from a hook off our balcony god knows what the neighbours thought...Leila reached all her milestones as normal and walked just days before her 1st birthday. Our 18mth scan showed its not completely healed but hopefully with time it will evetually go into place. And it has certainly not tarnished her from becoming a toddler!

All the best to those of you experiencing this. Treated children grow and it shouldnt affect them. Take care,

Rach

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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