Not Just A Diagnosis – Hip Dysplasia Charity Working To Minimise Bewilderment After Diagnosis

‘Healthy Hips Kits for DDH Kids’ is an initiative being launched by health promotion charity Healthy Hips Australia, to help people both working with and impacted by hip dysplasia in Australia.

Currently when a baby or toddler is diagnosed with hip dysplasia or DDH, their family walks away with the child in a harness or brace, for up to 24-hours a day for a minimum of 6-12 weeks, or worse still, the wait for surgery to reposition the hip ball and socket. Surgery, when required, is followed by 8 or more weeks of casting, most often from the chest down to the toes, with no more than a small hole to perform nappy changes through. Beyond the care instructions for the harness, brace or cast the families are largely left to figure out for themselves how best to tackle the daily challenges of feeding, bathing, playing, sleeping and positioning their child in car seats, prams and highchairs not designed for babies with hip dysplasia.

“One of my goals, from the inception of Healthy Hips Australia, has been to increase the take-away information given to parents of children at the time of diagnosis” says Sarah the Founder of Healthy Hips Australia. “Feeling overwhelmed and bewildered is commonly expressed by parents when their child is diagnosed, as the treatment commences so swiftly and any information given at the time of diagnosis is often not absorbed due to being in a state of shock” she adds. “Once treatment starts, many parents express feeling like they are starting all over again as they learn how to hold, feed, settle and position their baby in the harness/brace/cast” Sarah goes on to explain.

Hip dysplasia specialty businesses, Starfish Babes and Taylah Tree, have jumped on board to support Healthy Hips Australia in getting this initiative off the ground. “We are thrilled to have the support of Starfish Babes and Taylah Tree. Both these businesses go out of their way to make the hip dysplasia journey that little bit easier” says Sarah.

New Zealand based company, Merino Kids, have also joined Healthy Hips Australia to help make this initiative possible.  “The Merino Kids products, the Go Go Bag and the Cocooi Babywrap, have design features that allow babies’ legs to move naturally and freely as well as bend into the ‘froglike’ position, leading to them being recently acknowledged by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute as ‘hip-healthy’ products” says Sarah. She adds “Healthy Hips Australia looks forward to working alongside Merino Kids for the Healthy Hips Kits for DDH Kids initiative”.

“The initiative ‘Healthy Hips Kits for DDH Kids’ endeavors to see an information kit be given to each child, in Australia, who requires treatment for hip dysplasia which is as high as 1 in every 50 babies” says Sarah, adding that “Funds raised during Australia’s first Healthy Hips Week, 10-16 April, are also aiding this initiative and we can’t thank the DDH community enough for their support”.  

FURTHER INFORMATION

Healthy Hips Australia: www.healthyhipsaustralia.org.au

Taylah Tree: www.taylahtree.com.au

Starfish Babes: www.facebook.com/starfishbabes

Merino Kids: www.merinokids.co.nz