Following his birth in March 2009 Ronan’s hips were checked by the Midwife as part of the routine hospital discharge procedure.  She asked the Paediatrician for his opinion -  he described the hips as ‘clicky’ and although he said this didn’t necessarily indicate a problem said that his hips would be checked again in 6 – 8 weeks. The Midwife asked for a second opinion from a more senior Paediatrician who described a ‘clunk’ when the hips were examined and said that the hips could be easily dislocated during examination and would definitely require a treatment.

Ruth was born in January 2012 and although she was given the all clear at her newborn check she was referred for a scan because of the family history.  She too required treatment with the pavlik harness.

Amelia was born in October 2015 and like her sister showed no signs of DDH but went on to be placed into a pavlik harness after her ultrasound.

All Three have since been signed off with healthy hips :)

They have a little cousin currently undergoing treatment with a Pavlik Harness too, so we are very hopeful she will get the same great results! 

Ruth is a huge Hula Hoop fan, so when she heard about the Steps 40th Anniversay Challenge she couldn't wait to get involved!

Ruth will be teaching Amelia and Mummy how to Hula Hoop each Lunch time for 40 days and Ronan will be our camera man to document our progress!   :)

June is the international awareness month for Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). DDH is a common and preventable cause of childhood disability. Unfortunately, a late diagnosis of the condition leads to a higher chance of needing surgery and a higher risk of long-term complications. Despite the introduction of national screening programmes, which in some cases also include universal screening of newborns, late diagnosis of the condition still occurs. It is of vital importance that Steps, along with international organisations, work together to reduce late diagnosis and improve training and education of healthcare professionals involved in the physical examination of neonates and infants.