Hip Dislocation in Infants
Hip dislocation, also known as developmental hip dysplasia, is a problem that is usually seen in infants and young children. Hip dislocation in babies can be seen during checks made immediately after birth, and it can also develop later. The hip joint located in the hip does not develop correctly, which leads to hip dislocation. The section of the femur, which is named femur, takes the shape of a ball when it joins with the hip. This part is to form the joint part by sitting in the round shaped slot located in the hip bone. This joint is named socket or ball joint because of its structure. When hip dislocation is observed in children or infants, the socket part located in the joint parts of these children is quite shallow. For this reason, the femoral head cannot fit into place and loosens the hip joint. In babies with hip dislocation, the femoral head is positioned incorrectly and this leads to disruption of the hip development process.
The problem of hip dislocation in babies is known as the most common skeletal and November muscle problem from the moment of birth. Hip dislocation problem is observed in one out of every thousand babies born worldwide. In today’s conditions, doctor’s checks performed consciously ensure that the problem of hip dislocation in babies is diagnosed early and babies can complete the development process without any problems with the interventions performed. If treatment is started late and delayed, babies may face lifelong hip problems. For this reason, pediatricians perform hip ultrasound during the first month of follow-up after birth and provide the necessary controls.
What are the Risk Factors for Hip Dislocation?
The cause of the hip dislocation problem in infants is not yet fully known. There are some risk factors that trigger the formation of hip dislocation, and these conditions can trigger the development of hip dislocation discomfort. Since the uterus does not fully relax during the first births of expectant mothers, more pressure may be applied to the baby, and this may increase the risk of hip dislocation formation. For this reason, the incidence of hip dislocation in babies during the first pregnancies is quite high.
The problem of hip dislocation is usually seen more often in girl babies than in boy babies. But, since there is a possibility that this disease can also occur in male babies, doctor’s checks are important for both sexes. We can list the most important risk factors for hip dislocation problem in infants as follows.
- Multiple pregnancy of the expectant mother
- Babies born from the first pregnancy of the expectant mother
- Finding a hip dislocation problem in the expectant mother’s family history
- The expectant mother’s amniotic fluid is less than normal
- The fact that the babies came in the breech position on the opposite side during birth
- Swaddling was done to babies after birth
What are the Symptoms of Hip Dislocation Disorder in Babies ?
If hip dislocation is found in babies, it may be seen in a number of symptoms, such as that no problems will arise. For this reason, regular visits to the doctor’s check-ups that are considered appropriate after childbirth are quite necessary to start early diagnosis and treatment practices. The symptoms of hip dislocation disorder vary from baby to baby and the disease is different in each baby. It is possible to list the symptoms of hip dislocation problem in babies as follows.
- Observing the difference in length between the two legs of babies
- Observing restriction of joint movements in the hip of infants (for example, the inability of the baby’s leg to open outwards)
- Noticing problems in the movements of babies who have started to walk
- Asymmetry disorders in the shape and number of folds formed on the legs and buttocks of babies
- Observation of retardation during the gross motor development process of infants such as crawling, sitting and walking
- Symptoms such as hearing clicking-style sounds when the hip part of babies moves are shown as the cause of hip dislocation.
In addition, the problem of hip dislocation, which should be treated and is not, can lead to permanent disorders of the hip joint. Failure to treat hip dislocation discomfort in infants leads to permanent damage and various complaints. Walking with a limp, developing a pain problem in the hip area at an early age, observing the formation of osteoarthritis caused by non-passing restrictions on joint movements and joint Decrepitude are among the complaints of untreated hip dislocation.
How is the Diagnosis of Hip Dislocation Performed in Infants ?
In order to diagnose hip dislocation seen in babies at an early stage, screening is performed at birth. Seventy-two hours after the birth, the hips of the babies are checked as an important part of their newborn examination. In order to understand whether there is hip dislocation discomfort in babies, the main check is performed during the first Decontrol, which is performed between six and eight weeks. Then, hip dislocation scans are continued at regular intervals until the babies reach the age of one.
The most classic method used to determine whether there is a hip dislocation in babies is physical examinations performed by pediatricians. Specialist doctors gently manipulate the hip bones of babies during the examination to determine if there is a significant problem. During the examinations, no pain is given to the babies and the babies are not disturbed. During the first month controls, whether there is a hip dislocation in babies is checked by ultrasound method. The hip dislocation problem that develops in babies three months and older manifests itself with limited sideways movement in the joints, inequality in leg length and disproportionate differences in hip or leg folds. In accordance with the findings seen on hip ultrasound and in order to make a clearer diagnosis in babies who are over three months old, a X-ray of the hip joint is taken directly. In premature births, if the hip joints of babies are loose, in multiple pregnancies, if the family has had hip-related problems in the past and the baby was born in the opposite way, more emphasis should be placed on hip dislocation in babies and ultrasound screening should be performed in the first weeks.
How is Hip Dislocation Treatment Performed in Babies ?
The most important point that facilitates the treatment of hip dislocation disorder in infants is early diagnosis. Hip dislocation disorder, which is understood in the early stages, can be treated without surgery. During the first six months of life in babies, hip dislocation discomfort can be treated with splints or applicable simple methods. Hip dislocation in babies older than six months is treated with surgical operations by using the general anesthesia method. In these operations, the femoral head, which is positioned incorrectly, is placed where it should be and plaster application is performed during the treatment. During the treatment process, the babies are monitored and immediately intervened in case of any possible adverse events. The improvement rate in the treatments performed during the first six months is close to one hundred percent.
If hip dislocation has been detected in infants within the first six months after birth, a splint, a fabric with a special content, is applied to infants. This application ensures that the hips of the babies remain in a fixed position and both of them develop normally. The splint applied to babies should remain attached continuously during the first weeks and should definitely not be removed by anyone other than health professionals. During the doctor’s check-ups to be carried out at regular intervals, adjustments of the splint are made December. In addition, the specialist informs the mother and father about how the baby should be cared for while the splint is attached and gives the necessary instructions.
If hip dislocation in infants has been diagnosed after six months and the desired result has not been obtained from the splint application, babies are given general anesthesia, surgical operations are performed and the incorrectly positioned joint is placed in the correct position. In this application, known by the name of reduction, the placement process is performed and the plaster is applied to the babies again after the application. The plaster applied must remain wrapped for up to six weeks after the operation. after the plaster expires, specialist doctors give the babies general anesthesia again in order to make the necessary checks, and the plaster is applied again for at least another six weeks.
