Parenting Article:

Let's hear it for hip (dysplasia) babes!

Courtesy of: Hip Babes

Hip dysplasia affects approximately 10 in every 1,000 babies. Although this statistic may not seem significant to some, parents who have to deal with this condition are faced with many daily challenges.

Nappy changing, car travel, prams, baby carriers, breastfeeding, sleep settling, and clothing can be major stresses for parents of babies with hip dysplasia.

Hip dysplasia relates to abnormal development of the hip during fetal life, infancy or childhood. If your baby is diagnosed with hip dysplasia, there are a numerous treatments available and these should be discussed with your paediatrician.

Infant hip braces, such as the Pavlik Harness or the Dennis Browne bar are commonly used. This uncomfortable looking device may be strapped to a baby 24 hours a day, for several weeks or months. The baby's legs are splayed wide apart in a rigid position and leg movement is restricted.

The good news is that if hip dysplasia is diagnosed early the condition can be corrected in most cases especially with the above-mentioned treatments. If left undiagnosed, the patient could suffer very painful hip dislocation later in life. All babies are usually checked for hip dysplasia within their first week of life.

As a mother of a hip dysplasia baby, Debbie Clemens found virtually no resources or cool clothing options for her daughter Mila, who wore a hip brace from the age of 4 weeks to 7 months. "I even had to design and sew pants for Mila to accommodate the hip brace and discovered baby leg warmers worked really well too," she says. "It's bad enough being told, your child is less than perfect, but you also want them to be as comfortable as possible and look like a normal baby!" As a result, Debbie set up the Hip Babes website to help other parents in the same situation.

Hip Babes offers parents of babies with hip dysplasia some practical ideas and clothing options such as Huggalugs™ Australian-made leg warmers. Hip Babes also donates 5% of all their sales to the Royal Children's Hospital. Hip Babes will also be launching their pants (suitable for hip brace babies) very shortly. www.hipbabes.com.au

References: Nursing Care of Infants & Children, Hockenberry & Wong, edition 7, 2003
NOTICE: The information included in this article and on Hip Babes website is information only, and is by no means a substitute for the advice of a qualified medical practitioner. It mostly refers to babies in a Dennis Browne Bar, more commonly used at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. Hip Babes is not to be responsible for any harm or injury resulting from interpretations of the information herein. Please refer to your baby's specialist if you are in any doubt.

Back to Parenting Articles