clicky hip brace

dubgirl

Hi all - my sister's just been told her brand new 4 day old baby needs to wear a full body brace for 12 weeks as she has a clicky hip...:(

She has been told the baby can't come out of it at all - can't even have a bath...

Anyone any experience of this?

up for anything

My mother's neigbour's daughter's child (that's a lot of possesive apostrophes ) had to wear one for three months during her first year. It looked very uncomfortable but the child adjusted to it surprisingly well as did the parents in dealing with it. It's worth it in the long run.

TempestSabre

I think its common enough. Friends child had one. Dunno about the bath bit, but they weren't that long in it. What can you do anyway? Its medical advice, you are hardly going to ignore it. Get a 2nd medical opinion if you are unsure if its needed.

Beruthiel

My daughter had this.
It basically means that the top of a hip bone is two small and is slipping out of the socket. It is held in place until the bone grows big enough to stay in the socket. If left un-checked, the bone will grown outside the socket and one leg will be longer than the other and the person will have a very bad limp for the rest of their lives.
Back in the day, (18 years ago) they first tried putting 3 cotton nappies on a baby to keep their legs in place, I did this for 12 weeks. The doctor told me it worked.
She had a check up later and I was told in fact, it hadn't worked. I was so mad.
At seven months old she was put into a body cast which went from her waist to each ankle. (leaving a little space so I could still clean her butt)
The cast was change a number of times to accomodate her growth.
I felt so bad for her and was quite upset at the time. She was so heavy that my back was in bits.
To say it bothered me more than her is very true. She took to it like a duck to water and would rock herself around the room getting from one side to the other on her belly. It's amazing what a baby will put up with and smile all the day long.
She was 15 months old when the cast came off, her hips were perfect and within the week she spent one full day attempting to stand up. Sweat poured off her face but she refused to give up until she could manage to stand on her own two feet. I often joke with her that it was the only day of her life I've ever seen her do a hard days work. She walks perfectly now, considering she could have had a terrible limp for the rest of her life, it was worth every minute of the anguish I went through.
Tell your sister not to worry, it will be tough on her but her baby will take it all on board no problem.
After my own experience, I would suggest that she get two doctors to check the final x-rays in order to be absolutely sure it has worked.
Also, and this is probably a non-issue as they know better, but if the child is a girl, make sure they protect her overies when taking x-rays.
As for washing the child, baby wipes will do.
Also, if you can find a carpenter to throw some sort of baby chair together which will accomodate the childs legs in that shape, I would suggest she get it done now, at the time I had to get this done as ones you buy in the shop did not cater for this. it will make such a difference when trying to give the child a normal life and feeding times will be much easier.
I also used a bean bag for her when giving her a bottle.
Your sis is lucky, if this is done properly now, it will be all over by the time the baby is 3 months old and not 15 like poor ol' me
I totally understand how upsetting this can be for your sis, but remember, of all the things that could have gone wrong with a new baby, this is nothing, is totally fixable and will be all forgotten by the childs first birthday.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Victor

dubgirl wrote:

She has been told the baby can't come out of it at all - can't even have a bath...

Sponge bath. Not perfect, but the alternative just isn't an option.

dubgirl

Hi guys - thanks for all of your replies especially Beruthiel - very informative. All home now and the brace just seems part of her and coping very well.

LegacyUser

dubgirl wrote: »

Hi all - my sister's just been told her brand new 4 day old baby needs to wear a full body brace for 12 weeks as she has a clicky hip...:(

She has been told the baby can't come out of it at all - can't even have a bath...

Anyone any experience of this?

It all depends - my boy was allowed out of his for half an hour a day - time for a bath and a stretch. The doctors will make this decsion depending on the degree of the displacement.

January

We have a huge thread on this in newborn and toddlers, has loads of info on it.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=67767648

Kent Brockman

My lad was in one for a few months after he was born..

We had to bring him to Temple street hip clinic once a week where they gave him a bath and replaced his harness.
It is tricky changing nappies and trying to keep the harness itself clean but he was our 1st and it was all new to us either way. Didnt seem to bother him in the least and looking back it was not really a big problem (all things considered).

Best of luck, you'll get used to it and in no time it will all be a memory:)

ash23

I was in one when I was a baby. Initially I was in the 3 nappies and that didn't work so I was in the brace as a toddler. That didn't work so I needed surgery. I was meant to have surgery at 5 years but the new doctor said there was nothing wrong and sent me home.
When I was a teenager I got a limp. Luckily I was still young enough to have it sorted out and I had an op which meant my bad leg was able to grow and I as I grew the limp sorted itself out.
I'm 28 now and no problems as a result. My daughter was checked thoroughly when she was born because it can be hereditary. My siblings kids were checked too.
Their kids just had a general check whereas mine had a scan aswell as a check.