About 1 in 100 babies will have some instability in their hip joints at birth, but this usually resolves within a few weeks. Around 1-2 babies in 1000 will have developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), where the socket that holds the head of the femur in place is too shallow, and therefore their hips dislocate easily.
The exact cause of DDH is not known, but risk factors include being born female, being first born, being breech within the last three moths of pregnancy, and having a family history of hip dysplasia.
Your midwife will examine baby’s hips at the 1-week and discharge visits, and you may be offered an orthopaedic hip check if you have a postnatal stay at the hospital.
If the orthopaedic doctors or your midwife detect hip instability in your baby, you may be referred to an orthopaedic clinic for follow up, or your GP may follow up.