Edinburgh Napier University

  Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) is a common walking disability in childhood. In the United Kingdom (UK), the estimated incidence rate is 1 – 2 babies per 1000 live births. Colloquially, DDH is called ‘clicky hip’, but this term belies the potential morbidity implications of this condition. It is important to diagnose and treat DDH when a child is pre-school age because of the long-term morbidity problems which can present later in mid-life, such as chronic back pain and the need for early primary hip replacements. In the UK, during the 1980s, ultrasonographic imaging, commonly referred to as ultrasound, was introduced and it is used on a selective basis to screen infants presenting with DDH risk factors. When DDH is diagnosed in an infant, the treatment and care of the infant takes place in the home over several months.
The literature review revealed an absence of research regarding parental experiences of the use of ultrasonography to screen, diagnose, monitor and manage infants for DDH. It is important that the individual parental experiences are fully understood to ensure that the infant has a successful prognosis and parents receive appropriate support from health professionals and parental support organisations. The aim of this study is to take a qualitative approach to exploring the unique experiences of parents caring for an infant who has undergone ultrasonography for DDH diagnosis, monitoring and management.