Brenda,

I am sorry to hear of your daughter's diagnosis. It will be okay.
Developmental dysplasia of the hip is not the worst diagnosis that your child
could have. Will it be easy, not necessarily, but it can be done. The surgery
should wait until your daughter is here. If she has had no treatment for all of
this time, then it is not a condition that anyone where she is is very
knowledgeable about. At the age that your daughter is now, the treatment may be
a bit more aggressive. That is because you don't want to try one thing, waste
time, and have to do it all again. Your daughter is getting to the age where
her bones are hardening, so it is on to the more aggressive treatment. Many of
the kids on the www.hip-baby.org site have ( unfortunately) not been diagnosed
until about the same age as your daughter, despite having ' good medical care.'
So it does happen, even in the states or other countries.

Generally the surgery that will be proposed for a two year old would be some
type of osteotomy. The cast is worn for 6-8 weeks, and then possibly a brace of
some type afterward until the socket deepens. Developmental dysplasia of the
hip is a long term condition. You are hoping to change bone, so it takes some
long term time. Hope that this helps.

Nancy ( owner and keeper of the www.hip-baby.org website, mom to Claudia,
misdiagnosed at 9 months, diagnosed at 16 months with bilateral DDH and both
hips dislocated, 8 days in traction, adductor tenotomy and closed reductions,
casts for 20 weeks, AVN in the left hip, full-time abduction brace wearing for 1
year, open reduction and bilateral pelvic osteotomies, cast wearing for 8 weeks,
now going for once a year check ups!)

----- Original Message -----
From: adamandbrenda
To: clickyhipsclub@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2007 5:18 PM
Subject: [Clicky Hips Club] new member-please help!


Hello. I am new to this group. We are adopting a little girl from
China. I was told up front that she has a cleft lip. However, just
recently, after we committed to adopting her, we were told she has
congenital hip dislocation. The orphanage says she just started
walking at 24 months & then they noticed a limp. I find it hard to
believe they just now noticed it, but there's nothing I can do but
argue that point. I called a pediatric orthopedic surgeon today who
works with Riley's Children's hospital in indiana. My question
was "Should she get her surgery immediately in CHina or wait for us
to get her & have to wait 6 months?" The drs office strongly advised
for us to wait until she comes home, which I agreed. I do not have
any of her medical reports regarding this condition yet, so I could
only ask general questions. My question for any of you is
this....has any of you had a child diagnosed with this later (at
around 2 yrs)? Is surgery 100% effective? How bad is this surgery?
How long do they have to wear casts? Do all kids who go through
surgery have to wear the casts? Do walkers also wear the harness or
is that mainly for infants? I am so new to this...sorry. They tell
me she's not in any pain, she's walking with a limp. Is it possible
for her not to be in any pain?
Please help!
Thank you in advance,
Brenda L





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