Congenital Hip Dysplasia Explained...and more updates!

As promised, I'm going to attempt to explain Hip Dysplasia, why it happens, and anything else that I think of. Jake is asleep and I'm pretty bored, so I'm just going to write whatever comes to mind. (OK, well, I'm kind of going to copy and paste this next part, as I think it explains it better than I can and I'll highlight what is applicable to us).

What is developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH)?

Developmental dysplasia of the hip is a congenital (present at birth) condition of the hip joint. It occurs once in every 1,000 live births. The hip joint is created as a ball and socket joint. In DDH, the hip socket may be shallow, letting the "ball" of the long leg bone, also known as the femoral head, slip in and out of the socket. The "ball" may move partially or completely out of the hip socket. (Jake has the shallow socket-the brace should help grind the ball into the socket, causing the socket to deepen and stabilize the hip)

Anatomy of the hip joint

Here is a simple illustration of a normal socket vs. a shallow socket-This is almost exactly what Jake has minus the dislocation.

What causes developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH)?

Hip dysplasia is considered a "multifactorial trait." Multifactorial inheritance means that many factors are involved in causing a birth defect. The factors are usually both genetic and environmental. Often, one gender (either male or female) is affected more frequently than the other in multifactorial traits. There appears to be a different "threshold of expression," which means that one gender is more likely to show the problem than the other gender. For example, hip dysplasia is more common in females than males. One of the environmental influences thought to contribute to hip dysplasia is the baby's response to the mother's hormones during pregnancy. A tight uterus that prevents fetal movement or a breech delivery may also cause hip dysplasia. The left hip is involved more frequently than the right due to intrauterine positioning.

What are the risk factors for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH)?

First-born babies are at higher risk since the uterus is small and there is limited room for the baby to move; therefore affecting the development of the hip.

Other risk factors may include the following:

• family history of developmental dysplasia of the hip, or very flexible ligaments
• position of the baby in the uterus, especially with breech presentations
• oligohydraminos (low amniotic fluid level)-we had this at he end of the pregnancy
• frank breech position

• c-section birth

Prognosis:

In 90% of cases, developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) resolves without consequence.
In 10% of cases, there may be long term problems, including pain, stiffness and arthritis.

Congrats on reading all of that-you are now a pro!

In other news-I started a photography class last night, which is the best thing that I have ever done for myself (aside from marrying kevin, having jake, and getting the pugs!). So be on the look out for lots of baby and pug pictures (and maybe some of Kev) as I try to perfect my skills behind the camera!