The greatest joy for all couples is the birth of a child. But the happy moments of the first days of a baby’s life can be darkened after a visit to an orthopedist. It is at a specialist appointment that parents first learn about such a pathology as the immaturity of the hip joint in newborns. Often, the doctor mentions dysplasia. Such a verdict can scare everyone without exception. Is it really worth it to be afraid of?
Immaturity of the pelvic bones and dysplasia: what is the difference
Immaturity of the pelvic bones is understood as their slow development, and dysplasia is initially an incorrect formation of the joint. These two conditions are often confused. Until recently, both pathologies were combined under the same term "dysplasia." Today there is a tendency to differentiate between concepts, which in itself is already good. A correctly formulated diagnosis allows you to choose the most competent treatment, if it is required.
When it comes to babies, the term “dysplasia” means the immaturity of the hip joint.
In newborns, this pathology is considered physiological, therefore, it does not need serious treatment. However, you should not completely ignore this problem. Timely detection of a violation and its competent correction allow avoiding complications in the future.
The main causes of pathology
There are several factors, the presence of which determines the risk group for the development of this pathology. Before talking about them, it is necessary to explain how and why the immaturity of the hip joint in newborns occurs. Currently, science offers several theories regarding the etiology of the disease. One of them should be discussed in more detail.
Some time before the upcoming birth, the female body begins to intensively produce the hormone relaxin. Its main purpose is to soften the femoral-sacral joints of the expectant mother. It makes the pelvic bones of women more mobile. However, relaxin does not work selectively - having an effect on the bones of the mother, it also softens them in the fetus.
If a woman has well-formed ligaments, she is not at risk of getting a dislocation during or after childbirth. As for the child who was just born, the situation here is different. The soft femoral head can fly out of the articular cavity, with no chance of returning. According to statistics, in 25% of newborns, doctors diagnose immaturity of the pelvic bones.
As a rule, the joints repair themselves. But if they do not come to an anatomical norm, a minor correction of the problem is required.
Among the factors contributing to the emergence of immaturity of the hip joints in newborns include:
- first birth;
- very large fruit ;
- the birth of a girl;
- pelvic presentation;
- hereditary predisposition.
Grudnichkov, who are at risk, immediately after birth, are registered with an orthopedist and begin to correct the violation.
Signs of immaturity of the hip joints of newborns
All symptoms of the pathological process can be divided into two conditional groups. The first includes signs that can only be diagnosed by an experienced doctor, and the second - available to parents to understand. It is a mistake to draw conclusions about the presence of an ailment solely on external deviations. However, parents should visit an orthopedist if they have the following symptoms:
- Asymmetry of inguinal, femoral and gluteal folds.
- The knees are at different heights. If you put the child on his back, straighten his legs and bend at the knees, the latter should be approximately at the same level. Otherwise, you should think about the presence of pathology.
- Different amplitude of the joints. The child must be put on his back and bend his legs in his knees. Normally, in newborn children, the limbs are highly flexible, so no effort is needed. If the amplitude of one hip is significantly different from the other, it is urgent to show the child to the doctor.
Timely revealed immaturity of the hip joints of the newborn increases the chances of a quick recovery of the baby.
Which doctor should I go to?
The detection of one or all of the symptoms of an ailment does not mean at all that the child has health problems. Lubricated symptoms, on the other hand, do not guarantee the absence of immaturity of the pelvic bones. After all, pathology can also be bilateral in nature. In this case, the asymmetry of the inguinal or gluteal folds should not be.
From all of the above, we can conclude that for any suspicions, you need to contact a pediatric orthopedist who will diagnose:
- It begins with a survey of the mother. The doctor should know how the pregnancy progressed, whether there were complications, whether there was a genetic predisposition to the disease.
- Ultrasound of the limbs. This method is completely safe for health, but at the same time is characterized by high information content. With its help, the doctor can say for sure whether the baby has an immaturity of the hip joint.
In newborns, the size of the ossification core is measured during ultrasound . This indicator should correspond to the age of the patient. Even a slight deviation from the norm may indicate a pathological process.
Violation correction
The physiological immaturity of the hip joints in newborns is not a reason to fall into despair. Such a diagnosis is not deadly, but they do not need to be neglected either. In the early stages, the pathology is very adaptable. Special tires are used to stimulate the proper development of joints. However, this method of therapy is not suitable for children who are already 6 months old.
Vitamins are prescribed for small patients. The duration of the course, a specific remedy and its dosage is determined by the doctor. Treatment of pathology is also impossible to imagine without special massage and physiotherapeutic procedures. If in the first case one cannot do without the qualified help of specialists, then applications using paraffin can be performed at home. How to do the procedure correctly and without prejudice to the health of the child, the doctor must tell.
Physiotherapy
What other treatment methods are used for the diagnosis of immaturity of the hip joint in newborns? Gymnastics is an integral part of limb development correction. The treatment complex is selected individually, but usually it consists of the following exercises:
- "bike";
- rotational movements of the legs;
- breeding and flattening of the legs in the hip joint.
Such exercises are recommended to be repeated every time a diaper is changed. In this case, the child must be laid on a flat surface. A bed or a soft sofa is not suitable for these purposes.
Gymnastics with immaturity of the hip joints in a newborn does not require special skills. However, it will still be better if the orthopedist shows how to perform the exercises correctly.
Wide swaddling
Many parents probably heard about the method of wide swaddling. In fact, only some of them know what it is. Wide swaddling is used for the treatment and prevention of immaturity of the pelvic bones, and it is performed as follows:
- It is necessary to fold a regular cloth diaper with a triangle, pointing its base down.
- A baby can wear a diaper.
- The child should be placed on the prepared diaper, bending its legs by about 80 degrees.
- After this, the ends of the tissue should be wrapped around the limbs of the newborn, and the base of the triangle should be fixed on the stomach.
This pose of the "frog", despite the difficulty of swaddling, is very convenient and useful for the baby.
Preventive measures
How can the immaturity of the hip joints in newborns be prevented? Treatment and correction of this pathology require a lot of time. If you do not notice the problem in the first weeks of the baby's life, you may encounter its negative consequences. That is why many parents are interested in the prevention of immaturity of the pelvic bones.
The correct course of pregnancy helps to reduce the risk of developing pathology. First of all, it is necessary to exclude the effect of negative factors on the fetus. A significant role in the prevention of illness also plays a balanced diet of the mother. And if she has an increase in uterine tone, it is important to take measures to eliminate it. For these purposes, drugs are prescribed.
Which drug to use is decided by the gynecologist. You can not engage in self-medication. In addition, it is advisable to check the development of the hip joints of the baby in the hospital. If a pathology is detected, you should immediately proceed to its treatment, and the baby will be healthy.