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My daughter Sophie was born with Developmental Hip Dysplasia. I had a traumatic birth/delivery with Sophie as I was induced, and I just wasn't contracting. Sophie is my first child. I was in hospital for 5 days. When she was born all I could ask the doctors & midwives was
is she healthy - as every mother would do. Yes, they said she was just perfect. I was so happy. It was on her third day in this world that my happiness dissapeared for a short while. A doctor came into the room and checked Sophie's hips as he said that when she was born they noticed she had clicky hips. I had never heard of any of this. He told me that they seemed fine to him, but to go get an ultrasound just in case. Later on that day I went and did that. The next day I was to go down to the physio at the WCH - mind you this was Sophie's fourth day in the world, and I was still trying to cope with the joy and emotions that come with having a baby, plus the sleepless nights in a hospital ward, plus breastfeeding. I went into the room with the physio who showed me a brace that Sophie would be wearing for the next ten weeks. I didn't know what to say. Nobody had told me that she would be wearing a brace for the first ten weeks of her life. I tried really hard to keep the tears back, but I just couldn't do it. I broke down into tears for what felt like a life time. The physio wasn't surprised by the tears, she was more surprised by the fact that nobody had actually spoken to me about what causes hip disorder in newborns or the fact that Sophie even had Dislocated Hips. It was an extremely emotional day for myself and my partner, Chris.
Sophie was to wear splints on her legs for the first ten weeks of her life. I had to adjust the position in which I breast fed Sophie, and we were unable to give her a bath until the splints were removed ten weeks later. It was the middle of Summer too. I was devasted the most about the fact that I was told this disorder can prevent them from walking in life. There was a very small chance of this happening as babies are treated straight away these days! So it was back and forth to the hospital for 10 weeks to adjust the splints as she grew. It was the middle of summer - 40 degrees!! - and poor Sophie wasn't even allowed to cool down in a nice bath or swimming pool!
The splints came off at ten weeks and it was the most exciting day of my life with Sophie! We drove straight home and all three of us got straight in the bath. It was such a great experience to have a bath with my first child after being deprived of it for 10 weeks. I know it sounds like such a silly thing, but it was a special moment!
Now 18 months on Sophie is running around everywhere. We went back to the hospital at 6months, and one year to have xrays and we still need to go back when she turns 2 just to make sure her hips are developing properly. I look back at it all now and I realise that it wasn't such a bad experience as I felt it was at the time. There are many more serious problems with babies/children and I'm very grateful for the little girl I gave birth to. I would rather go through all those emotions early on in her life and know that she will be able to walk which is what she is doing now.
I've written this article as it isn't something parents talk about much on this website. If there are any parents out there who are going through this now or who find out their baby has this condition when they are born please feel free to write to me. I will be here for anyone who wants any advice or to answer any questions as I didn't have any parents to talk to about this when Sophie was diagnosed!
(June 2007) (
Lexi xxx
If only they knew back then what we know now!!! Yes, I did know that it was more common in baby girls. It is also more common in babies of women under the age of 25 which is a rather interesting fact! 1 in 5 girls are born with dislocated hips so I believe. It is great that your daughter didn't have it, but apparently it isn't hereditory. I've seen some websites of mothers who've written stories about this today. Over in America they still need to put the child in a cast to help align the hips!!! We are very lucky in our country!
