Congenital Hip dislocation
Congenital hip dislocation (CHD) occurs when a child is born with an unstable hip. It’s caused by abnormal formation of the hip joint during their early stages of fetal development. Another name for this condition is “developmental dysplasia of the hip.” This instability worsens as your child grows.
The ball-and-socket joint in the child’s hip may sometimes dislocate. This means that the ball will slip out of the socket with movement. The joint may sometimes completely dislocate
Causes of Congenital Hip dislocation
The cause of CHD is unknown in many cases. Contributing factors include low levels of amniotic fluid in the womb, which occurs when your baby is born hips first, and a family history of the condition. Confinement in the uterus may also cause CHD or contribute to it. This is why your baby is more likely to have this condition if you’re pregnant for the first time. Your uterus hasn’t been previously stretched.
Symptoms of Congenital Hip dislocation
- legs that turn outward or appear to differ in length
- limited range of motion
- folds on their legs and buttocks that are uneven when their legs extend
- delayed gross motor development, which affects how your child sits, crawls, and walks
Congenital Hip dislocation treatment
If your baby is younger than 6 months of age and diagnosed with CHD, it’s likely they’ll be fitted for a Pavlik harness. This harness presses their hip joints into the sockets. The harness abducts the hip by securing their legs in a froglike position. Your baby may wear the harness for 6 to 12 weeks, depending on their age and the severity of the condition. Your baby may need to wear the harness full time or part time.
If your child is 18 months or older or hasn’t responded well to treatment, they may need femoral or pelvic osteotomies to reconstruct their hip. This means a surgeon will divide or reshape the head of their femur (the ball of the hip joint), or the acetabulum of their pelvis (the hip socket).
