Screening the Newborn for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: Now What Do We Do?

The Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America recommends that all health care providers who are involved in the care of infants continue to follow the clinical practice guideline for early detection of developmental hip dysplasia (DDH) outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Although evaluation of children with risk factors for DDH is important, most DDH occurs in infants who have no risk factors. For all infants, a competent newborn physical examination using the Ortolani maneuver is the most useful procedure to detect hip instability. Early treatment of an unstable hip with a Pavlik harness or similarly effective orthosis is effective, safe, and strongly advised. Despite having had normal newborn and infant hip examinations, there remains the possibility of a late-onset hip dislocation needing treatment in approximately 1 in 5000 infants.