Having just finished working with a 12 week old who has just been fitted with a Pavlik harness to treat Hip Dysplasia, just like her sister was 2 years ago, at the same age, I thought it would be helpful to write a blog post on the condition, to help other parents and Maternity nurses, who may end up working with a baby in the same predicament.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a condition where the 'ball and socket' joint of the hips doesn't properly form in babies and young children.

It's sometimes known as congenital hip dislocation or hip dysplasia. The hip joint attaches the thigh bone (femur) to the pelvis. The top of the femur (femoral head) is rounded like a ball and sits inside the cup-shaped hip socket.

In DDH, the socket of the hip is too shallow and the femoral head isn't held tightly in place, so the hip joint is loose. In severe cases, the femur can come out of the socket (dislocate).

DDH may affect one or both hips but is more common in the left hip. It's also more common in [Read more...]