Congenital Hip Dislocation...Please encourage me!

We were told in the hospital that our baby girl was born with a "hip click" which could indication congenital hip dislocation.  She was not a breech baby and to our knowledge nothing like that runs in our families.  Last week we had an ultrasound done on her hips which showed her right hip to be completely dislocated and her left hip to be partially dislocated.  The doctors just say "it happens" with no real explanation why.  I've done some research and found that they usually treat it with something called a Plavik harness which holds her legs out to the side for several weeks.  Apparently it is successful with about 90% of cases, except when the hip is truely dislocated and then it drops to about 80%.  We have an appt. this Thursday to meet with an Orthopedic doctor to determine her course of treatment.  But it's driving me crazy with worry!! Apparently, if it's caught this early (at birth) then (from what I've read) there aren't any complications from it.

Has anyone had a child born with this problem and if so was it treated with the harness?  Did it delay the childs motor skills at all?  I'm praying that the harness works because if it doesn't then she'll need surgery to put on a cast!!  I hate this!  I know it could be worse and she could have something really serious and untreatable.  But you never expect to have your child born with something like this.  Can anyone give me any encouraging experiences with your child or someone you knew?  Did the child end up having a limp when they walked??

[grammatobe]

a friend of mine's daughter was born with total dislocation of one hip and a click in the other. first they did use the harness for about 3 weeks and this did not work. then they cast her for 7 months and this worked.  it set it in and held it in place until she no longer needed casting.  Her daughter is now grown has no limp, has had a normal delivery of her own child.

so good luck and hope this puts your mind at ease.

[anxiousmomtobe?]

My sil was born with the same problem.  She had to wear casts for several months.

The good news is that she grew up healthy, strong, athletic.  She now has two babies of her own and neither had any hip problems.

[nalla]

We just found out that our son has his right hip disloacted. He is 19 months old and they said that he will most likly have to have surgery and the cast. I'm kinda in the same boat as you right now. Not really knowing what the outcome and treatment will be. I just wish that the dr.s would have found this out before so we might have been able to avoid surgery.
I'm sorry you are going through this. But it's really good that they caught it early!

[twiceadopt]

my oldest had a hip click when i adopted her (7 months). docs basically ignored it and it seems to have gone away, she's now a very very active 8-yr-old.

[FatSophie]

I wish you the best with the least invasive measures.  I developed clicks in my hips in adolescence without any pain.  In my 40's I started having pain in my right hip.  After many x-rays and cortisone shots it was finally diagnosed as something I may have had from birth in both hips (no record of this- I have checked). Anyway, in my 50s, I now have severe to moderate pain in the right hip, as it goes in and out of the socket at will (not mine!). The bad news is that surgery won't necessarily work as this appears to be over flexible muscles  that won't hold the hip in the joint. I can no longer sit with both legs crossed and have limited motion in that hip.  The only thing that has helped me keep moving is chiropractic care in which they periodically put the hip back into the socket.  The Good news is that I was able to participate fine in all sports until my 40s.  And, my guess is that caught early like in your child's case, development can proceed correctly.  Good luck.