Following the success of Baby Hip Health Week 2009 (BHHW), we are holding another Baby Hip Health Week 13th - 19th March 2010 to continue to raise awareness amongst parents and health professionals of the vital need to check babies' hips during the first few weeks of life to prevent unnecessary pain and disability in later years.

In the UK alone, up to 2000 children a year are diagnosed with Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH), which describes a range of conditions from mild instability to total dislocation of the hip. Early detection means DDH can often be corrected by a simple outpatient treatment, but a later, or missed, diagnosis can leave a child requiring hospitals stays, operations and potentially a permanent disability.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

The story so far………

As part of our 2009 Baby Hip Health Week, STEPS published a Baby Hip Screening Report which revealed alarmingly that 57% of PCT's had no formal hips policy or guidelines in place, despite a national screening policy being introduced over 40 years ago.

Thanks to the hard work of parents, health professionals, MPs and our wider team, the research was presented at the Houses of Parliament in London. An Early Day Motion (EDM) was launched which urged the Government to meet STEPS to investigate how these shortcomings could be overcome.

However, lack of consistent, robust policies without clear referral timings is only part of the problem. Overwhelmingly many parents' felt that there was a lack of information about DDH and if they expressed concerns to health professionals, they felt they were not taken seriously; this was not only frustrating and distressing for the parents but delayed diagnosis. Parents' also reported that there is a lack of awareness about risk factors such as family history.

Despite battling 'red tape' and a sluggish system, we have, with the support and dedication of many STEPS families, achieved the following:

• EDM (Early Day Motion) with a staggering 118 MP signatures calling for improvements
• Raising profile of STEPS and DDH with the Department of Health via a letter writing campaign with MPs.
• Raising awareness of DDH and screening with general public through national and regional press coverage in 20 + newspapers across the country plus local TV and radio.
• Meeting with senior members of the Department of Health - Dr Shelia Shribman and Dr Anne Mackie
• Downing Street Petition - which closed with over 2,500 signatures (including many leading Paediatric Orthopedic Surgeons in the United Kingdom) which awaits formal response from 10 Downing Street
• Representation on the Newborn Infant Physical Examination NIPE Implementation Group
• Opportunity to speak about DDH with NIPE at the Royal College of Midwives Annual Conference

One of our most dedicated campaigners, Oonagh Keith became involved with STEPS when her daughter was given a late diagnosis of DDH.

She said: "When Siomha was born, she was discharged from hospital without an examination. I mentioned at her 6-8 week check that she made some funny leg movements but no action was suggested and yet at 14 months old a complete dislocation of the hips was diagnosed"