Parents explains hip dysplasia causes, symptoms, and treatment for babies according to experts including Ernest L. Sink, MD, chief of the Hip Preservation Service at HSS.

According to Dr. Sink, hip dysplasia is also more common in the left hip. “With hip dysplasia, they can feel the hip joint ‘clunk’ and pop in and out of the socket,” he noted.

Dysplasia is harder to diagnose later in life given the condition isn’t painful and doesn’t have obvious symptoms. However, parents might notice that one leg might appear longer than the other, he said.

When it comes to treatment, “if the hip is unstable—coming in and out of the joint—the routine treatment is a Pavlik harness,” said Dr. Sink. Pavlik harnesses are 60-90 percent effective in treating hip dysplasia.

If the hips still appear dislocated and surgery is needed, a baby will be put under anesthesia, and the doctor will position the hip correctly in the socket, explained Dr. Sink. Typically, a baby will wear a spica cast for a few months to hold everything in place and follow-up tests and MRIs will confirm the surgery’s success.

Read the full article at Parents.com.