Hip Babies / Hip Dysplasia

[Alias]

E slept really well last night - we hope that the brace and boots had been waking her, and that'll stop now. She was a really good sleeper before she went into the cast.

When we put her to bed last night, she lay for ages with her feet in the air, just cause she could. She did something similar when she got out of the cast, feet up like she had anti gravity boots on. And yesterday I kept asking her where her brace was, and she'd look at her legs and pat them, and then say 'all gone'. (me: yup, brace all gone, no more brace! Yay!)

We're going to give away her bean bag and the table that we'd made when she went into the cast. I figure that even if she does need another surgery, my doc doesn't like to use the cast after it, he uses the brace 24 hours. And she'll be too big for the table anyway. I'll find another hip baby that could use them.

8 months since she was diagnosed. It seems like forever. I can barely remember before she was in her cast. I do remember bawling my eyes out (for about a week!) when I found out she had hip dysplasia. But we're here, this is hopefully the end, and I'm so glad we made it. I hope the rest of you come to the end of the journey soon too!

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

thats great news!!! glad that she seems to be taking some weight on her legs now too

We go to get Ellies x ray in 14 days (not that im counting lol) the 4th Nov and we are hoping that her hip has fully grown, the only problem that we might have now is that her hip might be out of place and need to sort that out, but I will let you all know in 2 weeks xx

 

[azmom]

Hello parents! I am mom of a 13 week old boy. He was diagnosed at birth with hip dysplasia from being a breeched baby. He just switched from a harness to a night time hip abduction brace, and he HATES the brace. He screams and cries and will not tolerate it. I am afraid we'll never sleep again if he wears it, and I am afraid of him not wearing it. Does anyone have experience with one of these, and do you have tips for getting the little one used to it? Thanks so much!!!

 

[Alias]

Hi azmom, sorry to hear your son isn't happy with the brace. I had my daughter in it for 3 months, but we went from the cast to the brace, which is a totally different experience!!

When my daughter got 'boots and bar' to correct her feet (at about 6 weeks old) we were told to keep them on 23 hours a day, but for the first 3 or 4 we kept them on the whole time, for her to get used to life with them. The other thing is to make sure your son is comfortable. If it's the soft foam brace, you can trim around the ends to make sure it doesn't rub his knees. Comfortable stretchy clothes under the brace (we found footie PJs didn't work well, but that might just have been us. We did mostly leggings, tights and footless pjs) Maybe something under his lower legs when he's lying down to make his feet more comfortable, although we gave that up after a few days as DD's feet never stayed on the pillow.

The important thing is to make sure it's not hurting him in any way, and then stick with it. Babies do adapt pretty quickly.

 

[azmom]

Thank you so much for your quick response, I've been feeling a little desperate! I appreciate all the tips. I am trying to get him to wear it for little periods of time, increasing it little by little to build a tolerance. Maybe you are right, and I just need to go for it and let him cry until he gets used to it. It's hard. I hope your little girl is doing really well with her treatment.

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

Thank you so much for your quick response, I've been feeling a little desperate! I appreciate all the tips. I am trying to get him to wear it for little periods of time, increasing it little by little to build a tolerance. Maybe you are right, and I just need to go for it and let him cry until he gets used to it. It's hard. I hope your little girl is doing really well with her treatment.

yeah when my Ellie got her spica cast on in May she hated it and cried ALOT to begin with but we couldnt take it off so we just had to go with the flow, the sooner you get it on the sooner it will do its job, good luck xx

 

[Katt]

Hello all! I just wondered if you ladies had any advice for me. Bit of a long story, but here goes.

At lo's 1 year check, the health visitor noticed that Elsie has one leg 1 cm shorter than the other. Through the conversation, we also discussed that she tends to walk with one leg leading and that her cousin may have had hip problems. So she sent us to the docs to get a referral to be scanned just in case.

At the docs appointment he could find no reason to send her, so said wait 3 weeks then go back. We missed the appointment so went back about 6 weeks later (yesterday).

This is the situation now:

1. The doc yesterday said if her leg is shorter, it is so minor it is not a cause for concern.

2. She no longer leads with one leg, but walks perfectly fine.

3. Her cousin does not have hip problems - she had clicky hips and was scanned but there was no problem.

4. Elsie has assymmetrical creases. These are about an inch lower than hips. It looks kinda like she has an extra tyre of fat on one leg iykwim.

The doc said that the creases may be a warning sign but considering she walks so well he has no concerns and just to keep an eye on it.

My gut feeling is that she is fine.

However I know that sometimes problems can be missed and the longer they are left the harder it can be to treat.

She can be clumsy sometimes. But I think this is just her learning control. She walks really well and everyone comments on how stable she is for her age and have done since she started walking at 11 months (she is now 14 months).

So I guess I have two choices. Leave it and watch her for signs of a problem. Or push for a scan which the doc doesnt see as necessary. I am 99.9% sure she doesn't need it. But that 0.1% might drive me mad!

Any advice? Or does anyone know of any good places to go for information (I am refusing to google it!)

Thanks

 

[Katt]

Oh no I couldn't resist googling

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

I def would ask for a scan for sure, it will prob be a quick xray, when Ellie came home from NICU at 10 weeks I noticed her lef leg was much longer than the other, 4cm, so kept saying to the HV and her physio and also took her to her GP twice and nothing then at her neonatal check at 4 month her consultant said yip she had a prob, I cried and cried with relief that someone was listening, she has been in her cast from May and due to come out it next fri xx

 

[Alias]

Hi Katt,
I would get an xray done. It could be nothing, it could be something totally different, or it could be her hip. But I'd rather know than not, even having been through the tears and anguish that has been treating my daughter's hip. She's got 2 symptoms that could be hip dysplasia, but it doesn't mean it definitely is but there's no good reason not to check just to be sure.

If it is her hip and it's missed, it could mean lifelong pain for her. I've met a 25 year old who's hip dysplasia were missed, and she needs a hip replacement. She walks fine, she looks like any other 25 year old, but she's in a lot of pain.

 

[hel_5]

Hi Katt, I would say the same as the others, insisit on an x-ray, the 1st clue I had that emmas hip was dislocated was that her left leg was shorter than her right

Azmom, sorry you are going through this no real advise sorry as we went from cast to brace, but definately look at putting pillows behind LO to make them more comfy in bed, but unfortunately they will just get used to it over time x

 

[azmom]

Thank you hel_5! He spent about 5 hours in the brace overnight, so things are looking up - phew! I am thankful that he just has to be in it at night now.

Katt - I agree with the other moms - you will feel much better after the scan, and peace of mind is so important. I hope she is fine.

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

hey all 4 more sleeps til we go in and get Ellies cast off xx

 

[Katt]

Thanks all. I have booked another appointment with the doctor. It's just not worth leaving it considering the scan is so quick. Even though the thought of there being anything wrong really scares me.

How long has Ellie had her cast on? I bet you're really excited to get it taken off!

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

Thanks all. I have booked another appointment with the doctor. It's just not worth leaving it considering the scan is so quick. Even though the thought of there being anything wrong really scares me.

How long has Ellie had her cast on? I bet you're really excited to get it taken off!

yeah def you should always best to check than leave it!!

she got it on in May xx

 

[hel_5]

hey all 4 more sleeps til we go in and get Ellies cast off xx

 

[Alias]

hey all 4 more sleeps til we go in and get Ellies cast off xx

What she said You must be so excited to be getting rid of the cast! My tip is to bring adult knee socks (with the feet cut off) as leggings for her legs in case they're very stiff. Other than that, enjoy the squidgy baby feeling of a child without a cast I still am so happy some days to pick up DD and feel her legs moving. Only this week did I realise I can hold her like a proper baby (laying in both arms) now that she's out of her brace!

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

hey all 4 more sleeps til we go in and get Ellies cast off xx

What she said You must be so excited to be getting rid of the cast! My tip is to bring adult knee socks (with the feet cut off) as leggings for her legs in case they're very stiff. Other than that, enjoy the squidgy baby feeling of a child without a cast I still am so happy some days to pick up DD and feel her legs moving. Only this week did I realise I can hold her like a proper baby (laying in both arms) now that she's out of her brace!

aw thanks girls the picture shown is how I feel but I have been crying all bloody week what is wrong with me lol xx

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

hi everyone got the cast off on Fri and came home with no cast but she is still cranky when we move her certain ways also her skin is all red and tonight has came out in hive like rashes, is that normal oh and hates the bath!!!!

 

[hel_5]

Emma had REALLY bad dry skin, she scratched it so much that she marked all of her legs not sure about the hives thing, Emma has excema so we use her cream on her and i think that may have helped with the skin, also we dont use ANY product in the bath - I would be careful not to put anything on her skin.

And yes she hated baths!!!! we had an old baby bath seat, it meant that she could sit up more in the bath and her legs her 'in the position' that she was used to

Oh and yes hated being 'out of the position' or out of her brace for the first while, i think it just takes them time to get adjusted, enjoy the castless cuddles xxx