Our three-year experience with an ultrasonographic hip screening program conducted in infants at 3 to 4 weeks of age

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of a newborn ultrasonographic hip screening program con¬ducted at 3-4 weeks of life, and to assess its utility and fea¬sibility in Turkey. Methods: During a three-year period, parents of 1440 new-borns were interviewed within 48 hours following birth to be informed in detail about developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and its risk factors. They were asked to bring their infants for clinical and ultrasonographic examinations of the hips 3 to 4 weeks after birth. Re sults: A total of 975 infants (67.7%; 488 girls, 487 boys; mean age 26 days; range 17 to 34 days) were available on the day of screening. According to the Grafʹs classification, 1664 hips (85.3%) were considered type I. Immediate treatment was initiated for 22 hips (1.2%) which were considered type IIc, D, or IIIa. All but one hip were found to be type I after eight weeks of treatment. Among type IIa hips with a complete follow-up, 12% required treatment. In total, 45 hips (2.3%) of 35 infants (3.6%) were treated preferably with a Pavlik harness. Of these, 10 infants (28.6%) had at least one risk factor for DDH, the most common being a positive family history (n=7, 20%). Of 45 treated hips, 12 hips (26.7%) exhibited positive clinical findings, the most common being asymmetry of the thigh/inguinal folds. C o nclusion: Ultrasonographic hip screening program conduct¬ed at the age of 3 to 4 weeks is effective for early diagnosis and successful treatment of DDH. However, nearly one-thirds of the infants were not available at the appointed date, despite trans¬mission of detailed inf rmation to the parents just after birth.