For something that’s so common, there’s not a lot of awareness about what exactly hip dysplasia is, and a Glenbrook mum is keen to change that.
Genevieve Lennon and husband Nick have two boys, their youngest Matthew diagnosed with hip dysplasia at 15 months. Matthew has had surgery to “reset his hips” as his left femur, or thigh bone, was sitting outside the hip joint and was completely dislocated.
It was only when Matthew started walking at 15 months that his parents noticed something was amiss.
“My husband and I said, ‘Is that a limp or a new walking toddle?’” Mrs Lennon recalled.
Further investigation revealed a hip dysplasia diagnosis, a condition which affects one in 50 babies. It’s not known what causes the condition, but according to national support body Healthy Hips Australia, it is sometimes due to abnormal development and lack of growth.
Matthew had surgery in March, spending five nights in Westmead Children’s Hospital hip clinic. At the moment he’s stuck in a full cast from armpits to ankles, which he’ll get off in a couple of weeks time. He moves around by crawling on his tummy, with socks on his knees. Then it’s into a brace for six weeks and learning to walk again.
“It will take a little while learning to walk with the brace and after the brace comes off,” Mrs Lennon said.
“For us it was such a shock at 15 months. We had no idea it [hip dysplasia] could be picked up so late.
“Undiagnosed and untreated hip dysplasia leads to arthritis and the need for hip replacements at a very young age, which would have been the case for Matthew had he not had the surgery.”
She said anything later than three months is considered a late diagnosis.
This week is Healthy Hips week (April 23-29), and Mrs Lennon hopes to generate awareness of hip dysplasia so it’s diagnosed earlier and more children don’t have to go through surgery.
With an early diagnosis, the problem could be fixed with several weeks in a Pavlik harness, rather than requiring surgery.
Mrs Lennon recommends new parents complete all the recommended checks – including hip checks – in the “blue book” given to parents after the birth of a baby.
Healthy Hips Australia is pushing for the introduction of a routine ultrasound at six weeks to pick up anything unusual in a baby’s hip placement.
For more information visit the website: http://www.healthyhipsaustralia.org.au.
