Children's hip examination

Dear Parents,
on the basis of the Methodological Instruction of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic from 1996, hip joints of newborns and infants are examined to exclude congenital dislocation of the hip joints. This is a serious developmental defect of the hip joint that occurs in about 5% of children. If this defect is not recognized and treated early, it leads to severe damage to the hip joint. The hip examination is carried out in 3 stages in a so-called "triple sieve system" and is performed by an orthopaedic surgeon. The examination consists of an examination of the newborn or infant and an ultrasound examination of the hip joints. The examination does not put any strain on your child and cannot cause any harm. The first stage of the examination takes place in the delivery room or after you are discharged, no later than 3 weeks of age. The second stage then follows at 6 - 9 weeks and the third stage at 12 - 16 weeks of age.

If the finding on the child's hip is normal, we recommend normal wrapping. Disposable panties or the use of a regular cloth diaper are appropriate. If the examination reveals delayed hip development, this is not yet a defect that needs to be treated. In this case, we recommend a so-called wide or abduction pack. This consists of putting on 3 diapers. These then keep the child's hip in a position that guarantees the correct development.

Only when a developmental defect of the hip joints is found, we attach a therapeutic aid, which is most often the so-called abduction Frejka's blanket, or in more severe cases Pavlík's shackles. The staff of the neonatal unit will instruct you on the correct wrapping, and the orthopaedic surgeon will always instruct you on the application of the treatment aid.

If the child is treated with any of the abduction aids, attach the normal nappy. If the child is restless and cries in the first few days of treatment, remove the appliance and see the orthopaedic surgeon for an examination.

As soon as normal development of the hip joints occurs during treatment, the treatment aid is postponed. Treated children are then monitored, followed by check-ups at 3, 6 and 10 years, when an X-ray checks for normal hip joint development.
In children who have not been treated, X-rays of the hip joints are no longer performed.

WEDNESDAY: 13:00 - 13:30 (For treated and untreated children)

For treated children, check-ups at 3, 6 and 10 years are carried out in the orthopaedic outpatient clinic for children at the orthopaedic department of the hospital.