When your child was an infant, you may have noticed the pediatrician pushing and pulling on your baby's hips. Your pediatrician may have told you that he or she was testing the baby's hip joint or seeing if it was dislocated or not. This is part of the standard exam of newborns and young infants because infants are at risk for a condition known as developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), which is a still poorly undersstood condition where the hip joint does not develop properly, leading to hip problems later in childhood or adult life. It does seem that keeping the hips in the proper position during infancy can decrease the risk of the disorder.
It has been known for years that improper swaddlling can increase the risk of the disorder. However, there has been increasing concern over the past few years since swaddling has become much more popular in the U.S. The hips need to be pulled up and outward, in a normal resting position. The legs should not be pulled down straight and the hips pulled inward. Swaddling can hold the arms tightly, but should allow the hips to be flexed and turned naturally outward.
There is now a safe swaddling campaign underway, supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) and the International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI). The AAP has a helpful page for parents here. Even more helpful is this video. More information on DDH can be found here.
