How to treat congenital hip dislocation in children?

The article is professionally consulted by Doctor Nguyen Hung Tien - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Hip dislocation can be detected soon after birth or a few weeks after birth. Newborns with the following signs can immediately think of congenital hip dislocation:
Children have a difference in the length of their legs, the hip dislocation side will be shorter than the other side. However, if you dislocate both hip joints, it will be more difficult to detect. There are folds of the buttocks, thighs on the dislocated leg are less and higher than on the healthy side. The baby's feet fall outwards when the baby is lying with the legs stretched out. Knee flexion position, the knee joint on the side of the hip dislocation is lower. The child has limited flexion and deformity of the dislocated hip. Older children with dislocations will find their gait limp if they are dislocated on both sides. Older children under 6 years of age, when flexing and closing the hip, see the femoral head slide out of the joint, creating a clicking sound. In addition, hip x-ray or ultrasound can clearly show dislocation in infants or older children.

The earlier a hip dislocation is detected in an infant, the easier it is to treat and help the child heal faster. It is best right after birth, parents should pay attention to the signs for early detection and treatment to return the hip joint to a normal state with simple treatments.
Parents can wear sanitary diapers, use thick folding diapers to keep the hip joint open; or you can carry or carry the baby, put the baby on his or her stomach when sleeping. These treatments are applied to children from 1 to 6 months old, the hip joint will return to its normal position after 3-4 weeks. There are 90-95% cases of newborn hip dislocation that will return to a stable state and stop the dislocation.
Depending on the case, the dislocation of the hip as well as the age of the child, the treatment of hip dislocation requires comprehensive intervention or a cast, application of movement exercises in the dislocated joint, and the use of orthopedic braces. .
Some measures to treat hip dislocation parents need to know to apply treatment to their children under the direction of a doctor include:
Orthopedic brace: The dislocated hip will be splinted with soft foam to stabilize the joint muscles. The groin is dislocated on one or both sides. The time to wear the brace will be different for children of each age. Right after birth until the child is 12 months old, the child is worn continuously day and night for the first 6 months and only at night for the next 6 months. The process of wearing requires regular and periodic monitoring and examination by the treating doctor.
Orthopedic cast: This is the indicated treatment for congenital hip dislocation under 6 months old. Children receive a cast for a period of 2 weeks and undergo a treatment cycle lasting 10-15 sessions, based on the recovery of each child.
After the treatment of hip dislocation, the child needs to be monitored by parents at home. When detecting that the child has purple swelling of the toes, the child is in pain and crying, it is necessary to remove the cast immediately to avoid the worst situation of joint necrosis. After removing the powder, it is necessary to clean the child, apply iodine alcohol to the scratch, ulcer if any.

Orthopedic surgery: This is a treatment method for older children if from birth to 18 months of age, the child has not yet intervened to treat hip dislocation. Orthopedic surgery is carried out early if conservative treatment does not bring results, helping children not to lose their gait and have health and normal development.
Early detection and treatment of infant hip dislocation is really important. Because if the child gets older with hip dislocation, the treatment will be much more difficult. There are many different techniques for treating hip dislocation such as acetabulectomy, fixation of the cervical-femoral head... but they all have certain limitations when the dislocation has existed for a long time, as well as The therapeutic effect will not reach the maximum for the child.
To prevent congenital hip dislocation, parents need to take their children for regular health check-ups. Detecting abnormal signs and symptoms in your child needs to go to the doctor immediately to be accurately diagnosed with hip dislocation or not. Immediate treatment is the best way for children to develop normally, without functional limitations or motor limitations in the future.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment. Dr. Tien has more than 8 years of experience in the field of Internal Medicine - Neonatology, specializing in Emergency Resuscitation, Pediatric Cardiology, Neonatal Resuscitation. The doctor has been trained nationally and internationally such as: National Children's Hospital; the University of Sydney, Australia; Seoul National University, Korea before being a Resident Doctor of Pediatrics - Neonatology at Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital as it is now.
>> See more: Ultrasound diagnosis of congenital hip dislocation- Article by Master, Doctor Lam Thi Kim Chi - Doctor of Radiology - Department of Diagnostic Imaging - Vinmec Da International General Hospital Nang