Before Liam could be discharged from the hospital, he had to endure a final examination by the pediatrician on call. During that exam, the doctor heard a “clunking” sound in his hip and ordered an ultrasound. The ultrasound confirmed a shallow socket and we were referred to an orthopedic doctor.
A few days later, we met with an orthopedic doctor who diagnosed Liam with Hip Dysplasia. To correct his shallow hip and prevent any further damage, the doctor advised Liam to wear a harness for 3 months. For the first 6 weeks, Liam would have to wear the harness 23 hours a day. Then, for the remaining 6 weeks, he would only need to wear the harness for 12 hours a day.
Before I saw the harness, I had visions of a little Liam running in braces like Forrest Gump and then I envisioned a large plastic diaper apparatus screwed together with huge bolts.
A million questions filled my head. Would he walk normally? Will the harness hinder his ability to develop normally? Will he reach his milestones like rolling over, crawling and walking in an appropriate timeframe? Can he play sports? Will he be able to run? Will he be a NFL star?
The doctor eased my concerns by promising us that the harness would correct his hip and Liam would develop normally, but he couldn’t guarantee Liam becoming an NFL star. He also stated that the harness typically upsets parents more than it upsets the infants.
During our consult, we also learned that Liam has to remain in a straddled, frog-like position. This means I can’t wear him in any sort of sling. He also cannot be left in his car seat for long periods of time, so long road trips or leaving him in his infant car seat for naps are out of the question. He also cannot sit in his swing, because the swing would constrict his hips.
The first few days in the harness were a bit challenging. I have to hold him a lot since most everything would constrict his hips, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I get to spoil him and he’s definitely giving my arms a work-out. Also, changing Liam’s diapers were a bit tricky at first, but we got the hang of it. We only remove the harness to change his Onesies.
As for Liam, I think he enjoys looking like a sky diver.
What a sweet, sweet little guy! I’m glad the prognosis is a good one. Enjoy the extra snuggle time. 🙂
Such a handsome little guy – I love the look on his face! And yes, that is a skydiver look!
I had no idea people could get this hip disorder, I had always heard about it in dogs. I should have known though.
It was a good thing it was found early so Liam could get on the road to being a strong boy.
He is precious! And I am glad to hear this is something can be corrected!
You have an awesome sense of humor – Forrest gump! Oh my 🙂
a friend of mine had something like this when we were babies. There are pics of us – her propped up by the 1985 version of liam’s braces and me sitting in bw her legs. It’s actually kind of cute!
Hope the little frog handles these 3 months like a champ! He is so precious!
What a handsome little bugger he is 🙂 I’m sorry to hear that he and you are going to have to go through this but it’s so good that it was caught early and can be correct while he is still a baby. My nephews daughter had to wear a brace, something similiar when she was first born. It did it’s magic. Now she is in 11th grade and you would never know she had to endure that as a baby. 🙂
Oh, what a sweetie. He’s going to be fine and it will be so much better for him in the long run, I’m sure. Hang in there, mama….it will be a tough road, but one I’m sure is going to be worth it. (Remind me of this when/if the docs say my kid needs ear tubes again soon and his adnoids out!)
What a cutie! He looks very good in dog.
Cheers,
Anne
What a sweetheart Liam is!!!! I have had so many friends who’s lil’ ones have had hip dysplasia and had to wear that get-up. No worries, every single one of them has had complete success! Hang in there and enjoy the snuggle time- it goes away too quickly!
Stopping by from Lady Bloggers. Have a great weekend!
Awwwh! I totally enjoy the spirit and sense of humor that you applied to Liam’s situation. What a wonderful story to tell at his wedding! Bless you! Visiting from the Lady Blogger’s Tea Party!
What a sweet, sweet little boy. You have a fabulous attitude about this challenge. Whatever we have to do to make our kids ok, right? I wouldn’t have known what to do without the swing for naptimes at his age. That is all my son would do. Thanks for sharing Liam’s story.
I am visiting from the Tea Party. Thank you for having me.
Love the skydiver look 😉 Stopping by from the Lady Blogger Society tea party!
xx,
Delilah
http://www.dcdatingdivas.com
Awww. Such a cute little guy.
Although the brace doesn’t look like fun, good job for your ped noticing the problem and getting it corrected right away!
Stopping by from SITS. Have a great weekend!
Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I so enjoyed your 100 list!
Denise, he is adorable. I can’t wait to meet him.
Oh, he looks adorable. my son has that same onesie!
I hope it all works out well. i am a new follower from LBS tea party.
Haha that’s the cutest sky diver ever! Thanks for the comment on my blog – I think 1st pregnancies are hard because we’re more self conscious, afraid we won’t “do it right”, or “look right”. But I hope that with the 2nd one I’ll enjoy it more! Thanks for the visit!
Oh my gosh he’s BEAUTIFUL. Just gorgeous.
What a sweet boy! So glad they figured it out so he can get the treatment he needs… even if it doesn’t look like too much fun.
What a cutie…and holding him? What torture:)
he’s adorable. it is so wonderful that the doctor caught it. this past weekend I learned a friend of mine had it and it wasn’t treated.
It will go by so fast! I bet it won’t even phase him. My main concern? Would be having extra harnesses on hand 🙂 Those BF diapers can be doozies!
He is adorable, harness and all! Congratulations! I am so sorry that it has been a while since I visited you. I’m going to play catch up now! Have a wonderful day.
Comments are closed.