Bringing a baby into the world is one of the greatest joys in the world, often with babies being delivery healthily and without complications. In some cases, however, the labour process can lead to a birth injury with potential catastrophic consequences.
Medical negligence can be a difficult time for you and your family, especially in the aftermath of a complicated labour. Unfortunately, birth injuries related to negligence and medical mistakes can occur, which have the potential to change your family’s life completely.
What is Hip Dysplasia?
Hip dysplasia, or developmental dysplasia of the hip, can be mild or severe, representing an abnormal development of the femoral head bone. In this condition, the ball-shaped bone doesn’t fit correctly with the joint socket.
More common in the left hip on firstborn children and girls, the ligaments can be loose and stretched and the bone not properly secured into the socket. Hip dysplasia at birth can sometimes be extremely obvious, but there are a few other symptoms that can affect your child:
- Clicking of the hip joints
- A limp at walking age
- Shorter femur on one side
- Hip pain
- Stiff and painful joints (osteoarthritis)
What Causes this Birth Injury?
When diagnosed shortly after your baby is born or before six months of age, hip dysplasia can be treated quickly and efficiently. The likelihood of a successful recovery is increased the sooner the diagnosis.
Hip dysplasia can be caused due to:
- Family history of hip dysplasia
- Breech birth, in which a baby is delivered feet first
- A first pregnancy
- Other abnormalities that can increase the risk of hip dysplasia
Treating hip dysplasia often involves a fabric splint (or a Pavlik harness) securing the baby’s hips so that they are in a stable position. This allows both hips to develop normally over the course of constant wearing over several weeks. Surgery may be required for diagnosis after six months of age or if the fabric splint didn’t work.
Left untreated, hip dysplasia can deteriorate and cause irreversible damage. Disability, pain, and decreased mobility can require your child to have a hip replacement or corrective surgeries.
Do you feel like your child has suffered from medical negligence that resulted in hip dysplasia? You can make a claim if the following circumstances have happened:
- The doctors or medical staff failed to diagnose your baby’s hip dysplasia.
- The surgery or surgeries weren’t performed to standard.
- The hip dysplasia diagnosis was late and the condition worsened.
- Your baby or child suffered from avascular necrosis, which is the death of bone tissue resulting from the interruption of blood supply.
- Appropriate treatment wasn’t administered.
If you or your a family member have suffered a birth injury due to medical negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Our medical negligence team addresses every claim with compassion and professionalism, making sure that we support you every step of the way.
Get in touch with us on 01772 562084 to know more about how to make a claim – we’re always happy to help.