Hip Dysplasia Awareness

Hip Dysplasia awareness is a very important thing to me. I knew nothing about it before I had my daughter.When my daughter Nyah was born the hospital very casually mentioned that she would be checking her hips to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary. The first few days she is poked and prodded so I didn't really think much of it. They didn't seem to say much about them when she was first born but then at one of her early check ups at about 3 months her pediatrician said she was feeling a click in her hips. She referred us to Seattle Children's Hospital so we could see a specialist. The day came for the appointment and I went in so positively. After all she look perfect and nothing seemed off. After the x-rays the doctor came in and told us our daughter had Hip Dysplasia and that one hip was worse then the other. She was going to need to be in a Spica cast that went from her chest down to her ankles for 3 months. I felt like I had been hit by a train and there were lots of tears. Not only was I first time mom but now I had to figure out how to have a baby in a body cast? I threw a pity party for quite a while. Nyah had 3 of the 4 risk factors for Hip Dysplasia. She was our first born, female, and breech. The only risk factor she didn't have was a family history of the condition. 

Now my daughter is almost 3 and this seems silly because we survived and now we are faced with a new unknown, surgery. We recently found out her right hip has not gotten better.  While I am finally coming to terms with the fact that this condition could be life long I am thinking about all I didn't know before. How can I help other parents recognize the contributing factors and risks? While I couldn't control Nyah's risk factors there were some contributing factors I could control. Swaddling for instance can contribute to your child having healthy hips. Those nice tight bundles are actually very bad for a babies hips. Instead having the swaddle tight all over it should only be around the upper body allowing the hips and legs to be less restricted. 

Another thing I hadn't heard before was about baby carriers. There are so many different kinds out I simply didn't know that certain ones were bad for my babies hips. 

Now if you did any of these things is your child doomed to get Hip Dysplasia, no! However, I want other parents to know that they can contribute and to not expect your doctor to tell you everything. They can't cover all the tips and tricks for every condition. It is our job as parents to share and advocate for our children's health. I chose to make a Gif for this week's play because I wanted to see if I could make a serious Gif because often they are only for humor. I also think it illustrates just how dramatic her legs had to be held apart by the Spica Cast for those 3 months. I also love it because children are resilient and so much stronger then they receive credit for.