Developmental dysplasia sounds scary, doesn’t it? It is a fancy way of saying that your newborn’s hips are dislocated.
This can range from a problem which needs to be addressed, to a minor issue that does not require treatment.
Dislocated hips is a condition that is fairly common, affecting about 1 in every 1,000 babies. Breech babies are more likely to have dislocated hips at birth, as are girl babies, firstborn babies, and those babies born into a family with a history of the condition.
The good news is that this condition is easy to treat. Treatment usually involves your baby wearing a brace or harness for about one and a half to three months. Some babies need casts, and some need surgery.
The earlier the condition is diagnosed, the more likely it is that it can be successfully corrected with a brace or harness; in fact, when dislocated hips are diagnosed at 3 months of age or less, a brace or harness will completely resolve the condition 95% of the time.
Your child will usually adapt to treatment easily and perhaps find it less stressful than you do. Once treatment is completed, your child will quickly learn to walk and run normally, and there may never be any evidence of the condition.
