Page 10 - Baby Gear

Author Betsy Miller was successfully treated for hip dysplasia as an infant, and was able to walk, run, jump and play in her youth. As an adult, she experienced an unusual problem with her hips that lead her to search for answers that were not readily available except in medical journals. Being a professional technical writer, she was inclined to seize the subject and dive into research to find her own answers. She shares the depth and details of what she found, the most helpful and clear information, to allow parents to care for their children with hip issues with less confusion and more confidence. In The Parents’ Guide to Hip Dysplasia, Betsy Miller combines her experience and interest in hip dysplasia with her skills as a technical writer to bring parents answers to their questions about DDH and CDH. This 118-page book is written in simple every-day language and includes the practical and medical facts of developmental dysplasia of the hip, and congenital dysplasia of the hip. Any

Medical doctors mostly refer to hip dysplasia as DDH for developmental dysplasia of the hip. Earlier terminology was congenital dysplasia of the hip (CDH).[1] Generally it is a condition where the top of the thighbone does not fit properly in the hip socket or is unstable, dislocating to greater or lesser degrees.  DDH covers a wide variety of problems with the hip joint.[2] You can visualize the hip socket as a cup and the femoral head of the thighbone as a ball.  The ball needs to fit evenly in the cup and with enough room so it can rotate smoothly in multiple directions without slipping out of the cup. “Approximately one out of every 100 children is born with DDH (in some form), and around 1 out of 1,000 children has a dislocated hip at birth.”[3]  “Ninety percent of the hips of newborns with mild dysplasia identified by ultrasound resolved spontaneously between 6 weeks and 6 months.”[4] This is probably because the majority of infants with DDH are female and they have looser

What exactly is hip dysplasia? As the name suggests, it’s a deformation or a misalignment of the hip joint. The cup-like-formed acetabulum of the pelvis (also called the hip socket) and the round femoral head facilitate the movement of the legs. Both are covered with cartilage and a layer of fluid, which ensure a frictionless movement of the joint. The formation of the joint begins in the third month of pregnancy, yet it will not fully develop until the end of the pregnancy. By the time of birth, the newborn’s pelvis is almost entirely made out of cartilage. The ossification begins shortly after birth. The hip joint is reinforced by ligaments and the joint capsule. Muscles enable movement as well as supporting the hip joint. The German term for hip dysplasia was first used in 1936 to refer to a delayed growth of the ossification of the hip socket. The generic term of “infantile dislocation of the hip joint” was created by Dr. Ewald Fettweis. It is one of the most common skeleton structure

Hip dysplasia, also referred to as developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), is widely believed to be developmental. I am not an expert on this subject, but thankfully there are those who are experts, and that is where I turned when I wanted to know more.  The International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI), which started in Orlando, Florida is on a mission. Their board of doctors, researchers and supporters are committed to providing the best information and care for, “children and adults affected by neonatal hip instability and developmental dislocation of the hip.”[1] They are an international non-profit organization started to educate parents and physicians about hip dysplasia. The exact cause(s) are not known; however, it is known to develop around the time of birth, after birth, or even during childhood. It is believed that infants are prone to hip dysplasia for a variety of reasons: 1. Hip dysplasia is approximately 30 times more likely when there is a family history. 2. The baby's

Should my baby face in or out in a carrier? Many baby carriers offer a variety of carry positions, but not all carry positions are safe to use throughout baby's development. This blog will share some of the developmental milestones to look for so you can safely carry your baby though the world. Let's begin with validating the basic idea that it is good for a baby to be stimulated by parents and other caregivers. One of the key results of the great amount of research done on the baby's developing brain is indeed how vital appropriate stimulation is. When the baby is born, the number of neurons in its brain corresponds to adults'. However, what is missing is the mind-boggling amount of connections that will eventually shape that particular baby's personality and intelligence. These connections are formed by and are utterly dependent on the type of stimuli that the baby receives from the outside world. Every experience the baby is exposed to will activate some part of the brain's neurons.

By definition, a baby carrier is a device used to carry an infant or small child on the body of an adult caregiver. On-the-body baby carriers are designed in various forms such as slings, wraps, and soft structured front, back or hip carriers. Varying materials and degrees of rigidity, decoration, and support are used for carrying the child.  Here are a few common types of baby carriers and some considerations for choosing a baby carrier that best suits your family. Slings Slings are a baby carrying device comprised of a piece of cloth. The ends of the cloth are linked together, sometimes with a metal ring on one end and known as a Ring Sling. It is "slung over the shoulder and a pouch to put the baby in is formed at the wearer's waist. Wraps A wrap carrier does exactly what it sounds like: it wraps itself around you and your baby. A wrap is a long strip of fabric that goes around the wearer's body several times and is tied in a way that creates a secure pocket for the baby

A Ride on Mother's Back - A Day of Baby Carrying Around the World Written by Emery Bernhard and Illustrated by Durga Bernhard 1996 Harcourt, Inc. ($12.00 on Amazon) This is a remarkably beautiful book, simply written with outstanding art work that illustrates Babywearing around the world. It asks the questions: "How do different peoples carry their babies? and "What is it like to ride on mother's back? From Guatemala, Bali, Central Africa, Canada, West Africa, Thailand, Amazon River, Katmandu, Papua New Guinea, to the Andes Mountains of South America, descriptions of how these different cultures all work and play hands free are depicted. It is a wonderful picture book for children as well as adults because it shows family members carrying "their babies all through the day, while planting and harvesting, tending and gathering, cooking and playing. Snuggled and cuddled, jiggled and bounced, bundled and rocked, babies discover the world they live in. Today this practice is called Attachment

Is the practice of Babywearing catching up with history? Is it only something native peoples do? How many parents do you see or know who wear their babies in carriers? Or is it something that celebrities like Madonna, Angelina and Brad, Gwen Stefani, and Julia Roberts are popularizing? The answer to the first question is yes, Babywearing is experiencing a vigorous renaissance. And yes, every country in the world has a traditional baby carrier designed to meet their particular needs such as type of work, climate, and wearing positions: Mexico, the Rebozo; Peru, the Manta; Guatemala, the Parraje; Alaska, the Amauti; Papua New Guinea, the Bilum; Indonesia; a Selendang; Asia, Mei-tai (China) and Onbuhimo (Japan)i. All mothers, African, Welsh, Ethiopian, Maori and European have carriers of their own designs. A beautiful book about this is: "A Ride on Mother's Back, A Day of Baby Carrying Around the World by Emery and Durga Bernhard, Harcourt, Inc. Just look around in airports and shopping