Unfortunately, the number of children about whom one could say “completely healthy” is noticeably reduced. Almost every second small patient during examination reveals various kinds of complications. One of the most common orthopedic diseases is hip dysplasia in children. What is this disease? What does she come from? How to treat her? Is it possible to prevent its occurrence? Everything in more detail in this article.
Young Patients Disease
Hip dysplasia in children is an orthopedic disease of the musculoskeletal system. Most often, it occurs in patients at an early age - up to three years. According to medical statistics, in most cases girls are affected by this ailment.
How to recognize
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to independently identify hip dysplasia in children up to a year old. Only an experienced orthopedist can suspect abnormalities in the structure of the pelvic area. Confirm or refute his guesses only by making an x-ray. However, there are several characteristic signs that are clear signs of this disease:
- Subtle clicks. You should put the baby on his back. Next, you need to bend and unbend your legs several times in the knee area. If during this action there are deaf clicks in the pelvic area - most likely, this is the first sign of an orthopedic disease.
- Another symptom of hip dysplasia in children is the asymmetry of the folds. It is recommended that you carefully examine the location and depth of each cavity on the leg and pelvic area. A clear coincidence of the lines indicates the absence of orthopedic problems.
- In case of violation of the joint structure in the child, the parent may notice that his feet or one foot are turning strongly towards the inside. This becomes especially noticeable when the child begins to walk or crawl.
- If the disease has reached a severe stage, then pain symptoms may appear. Undoubtedly, they will cause discomfort in the baby.
Important! Dysplasia of the hip joints in children is difficult to determine. In appearance, the child may look healthy and full, while in the picture there will be a noticeable significant violation of the joint structure. That is why doctors strongly recommend conducting a routine examination with an orthopedist for a newborn baby.
About the varieties of the disease
Hip dysplasia in children under one year of age is the most common orthopedic ailment. According to statistics, every third child, mostly girls, is faced with it. This disease in all small patients manifests itself in different ways. In total, four main forms of its course can be distinguished:
- Primary stage. It is characterized by insufficient development of the hip joint. In most cases, this form of the disease is experienced by premature babies. With it, the head of the bone of the hip joint does not move from the acetabulum.
- Secondary stage. It is characterized by a slight displacement of the components of the hip joint.
- Tertiary stage. It is characterized by an apparent displacement of the components of the hip joint.
- Dislocation. The most severe stage of the disease, which requires a complex and lengthy treatment. With this form, the head gradually shifts higher and higher, going beyond the basin.
During the course of the disease, both the hip joint on one side and both joints can be affected. In most cases, bilateral hip dysplasia occurs in children.
Harbingers
There are several reasons why a similar orthopedic disease can develop. It is worth talking more about each of them:
- Unfortunately, if there is a genetic predisposition to this disease, then it is almost impossible to avoid its appearance. The chances of developing hip dysplasia in children increase by 30 percent.
- Gynecologists repeatedly repeat that a pregnant woman during the period of development and formation of the embryo should be very careful about her body. Penetration of harmful toxins into it can lead to impaired joint formation.
- If there was hip dysplasia in a child after a year, then most likely this was due to the fault of the parents. Pediatricians strongly recommend that moms and dads abandon tight swaddling babies, which interferes with the full development of joints.
Japanese scientists have identified a number of factors that increase the risk of developing this disease:
- Great birth weight. Such is body weight exceeding 4 kilograms.
- The mature age of the woman in childbirth is more than 25 years.
- Preterm birth - the birth of a baby before the 38th week of pregnancy.
- Gluteal presentation.
- Small basin.
What measures should a parent take when a disease is detected?
If the parent suspects hip dysplasia in children, then he must do the following:
- Carefully study all the symptoms that characterize such a disease. The main ones are listed above.
- Next, you need to visit an orthopedist. The specialist can make a preliminary diagnosis already at the first consultation during the examination.
- Without fail, a procedure should be done to accurately determine the presence or absence of hip dysplasia in children (x-rays).
- After carrying out diagnostic measures, the orthopedist will prescribe a course of treatment.
Important! The sooner the disease is detected and the correct treatment is started, the greater the chances of a positive success.
Is it possible to avoid the disease?
The treatment of hip dysplasia in children is a long and laborious process. Accordingly, parents often wonder whether it is possible to avoid its appearance. There are no measures that could guarantee to protect the baby from the development of this pathology. However, there are some preventive actions that will reduce the likelihood of its occurrence:
- Currently, pediatricians recommend completely abandoning swaddling. Even in maternity centers, patients are given body suits instead of diapers. If the parents nevertheless adhere to the swaddling technique, then a tight method must be avoided.
- Do not allow the baby to fit snugly to the body or any surface. At an early age, it is very easy to have an effect on the internal organs of an infant. For example, due to improper holding it on the hands for a long time, a child’s hip dysplasia may develop after a year or malformation of the knee joint.
Unfortunately, if there is a hereditary factor, then the risk of a disease is quite high. It is recommended that you visit an orthopedist once every three months in order to identify a pathology at an early stage of its development.
Orthopedic treatment technologies
Experts often disagree on how to treat a child's hip dysplasia. Most of them adhere to modern technologies - the use of orthopedic appliances.
Wide swaddling is probably not a therapeutic, but a preventive measure. Its main purpose is to keep the pelvis in the correct location.
Freyk's pillow is a new orthopedic device. It is a panties made of plastic base. The main purpose is to keep the legs in the correct position (in the frog pose). With regular use of this device, the signs of hip dysplasia in children will disappear. The displacement will disappear, and the head will take the correct position.
Pavlik Stirrups is another orthopedic solution for treating hip dysplasia in children. Experts assure that this is the most effective and gentle method. A special device is put on the child, fixing the legs in the correct position. The child can be in it for a long time, until the completion of the formation of joints.
Spacers-tires - orthopedic technology that allows you to fix the baby's legs in the correct position. Currently, there are several options for such a device.
It is rational to carry out the treatment of dysplasia in this way only for young patients - up to one year. In other cases, it will not bring the desired effect.
Massage
At an early stage in the development of the disease, massage can help with hip dysplasia in children. This is the most gentle type of therapy that everyone enjoys. There are several important points related to this procedure.
Massage should be done only by an experienced specialist who has a certificate for the right to provide such services.
- It is recommended that he has experience with the treatment of dysplasia.
- During the massage, the area of the joints, neck and back should be actively worked out.
- Important. It is strictly forbidden to massage yourself. For example, many mothers accept attempts to independently cure the baby, following the instructions on the Internet. Such an approach can only aggravate the situation. A direction to massage must be issued by an orthopedist.
Many children under one year old tolerate massage and get the most pleasant emotions from this procedure. Unfortunately, in such a way it is reasonable to treat the disease only at the very early stage of its development.
Massage is done in courses of 10 repetitions. After its completion, it is recommended to take a break of at least one month.
Physiotherapy
Gymnastics for hip dysplasia in children is a set of exercises that helps prevent the displacement of the hip head and return it to the correct position. Physiotherapy exercises can be carried out by a specialist or a parent, using the manual.
There are several effective exercises:
- The kid should lie on his back. Mom needs to alternately bend and unbend his legs, simulating riding a bicycle.
- Starting position is similar. Mom should alternately bend and unbend the legs. At the same time, the “not working” leg should remain straight.
- Breeding the legs bent at the knee to the side and connecting them together. The movements should resemble the flight of a butterfly.
The total duration of classes should not exceed 15 minutes. It is recommended to gradually increase the load. It is necessary that all movements are smooth and not give the child a sense of discomfort.
After gymnastics, the child is again required to show the orthopedist. He will determine if there is a positive trend from the classes.
Electrophoresis
Electrophoresis is another effective procedure that allows you to relieve pain in the patient and bring the joints back to their usual form. There are several indications when it is necessary to do this procedure:
- The need to improve the patient's well-being (relieve pain).
- The need to improve blood supply to cartilage.
Electrophoresis is an extreme measure that a specialist comes to only when other methods of treatment have not brought the desired results. Typically, the procedure is carried out in a course of 10 to 12 repetitions daily or every other day. In total, you can do 2 or 3 courses in one year.
Physiotherapy
If you want to improve blood circulation in the area of the hip cartilage, then you must go through a course of physiotherapy. The goal of therapy is to exert a thermal effect on the “affected” part of the body, due to which circulation will improve. It is worth noting that such a procedure is often prescribed as rehabilitation measures after surgery.
Healing mud treatment
A few years ago, healing mud treatment was used only in sanatoriums and large health centers. Currently, such useful procedures are carried out directly in the office of the children's clinic.
The main advantage of the procedure is that the mud contains biologically active components. They penetrate the skin cells, exerting a warming and healing effect on it. Unfortunately, it is impossible to cure dysplasia in this way. But, due to mud therapy, you can reduce the pain symptom, in addition, they will not allow the disease to develop further.
Surgery
Unfortunately, not all types of treatment can lead to a positive effect. There are several cases in which surgery is required to be performed:
- Treatment with other methods did not bring benefits - the patient's health did not improve.
- Severe course of the disease or late stage (this rarely occurs, in case of late detection of the disease)
- The detection of a true dislocation with dysplasia is the impossibility of curing it in other ways.
- The development of disorders in the joints.
As a rule, orthopedists do not make the decision to carry out a surgical operation immediately after detecting a disease. In most cases, such a procedure is resorted to only a year after the diagnosis.
Some tips for young mothers
Hip dysplasia is one of the most common orthopedic diseases that occur in newborns (in most cases, girls). It is "harmless" only if it has an easy stage. With the complication of the disease, various kinds of problems can arise:
- The appearance of pain.
- Violation of the structure of the joints.
- The formation of the "wrong" gait.
- Curvature of the feet.
In order to help your child, each mother should do the following:
- Closely monitor the health of your baby, listen to his whims and try to understand what they are connected with.
- Find a qualified orthopedist. Many modern experts can consider a photo of hip dysplasia in children (x-ray) and make a diagnosis remotely.
- Correctly observe the treatment and monitor the condition of the baby after each course of procedures completed.
- If treatment is ineffective, it is necessary to resort to other methods.
To prevent the development of the disease and the occurrence of complications, it is necessary to observe elementary preventive measures: refuse tight swaddling, choose the right chair for transporting children, mother lead a correct and active lifestyle during pregnancy, lactation and during the life of the baby.
Hip dysplasia in children is a disease that can be cured in almost 100 cases. It is important to find a competent specialist in the field of orthopedics and start treatment as soon as possible.