Charlotte
September 14, 2007 was an exciting day for Karen and Clint Chadwick as they anticipated the birth of their daughter, Charlotte. Birth by Cesarean procedure was necessary since the baby was in a breech position.
Upon examination of baby Charlotte, the attending physician noted that both hips had clicks, indicating her hip joints had not formed normally. A hip click does not always indicate hip dysplasia, but Charlotte was a likely candidate since she was born in the breech position. An ultrasound the next day revealed hip dysplasia in both hips, so the Chadwicks were referred to the region’s only pediatric orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Steven Buckley with The Orthopaedic Center in Huntsville.
Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is an abnormal formation of the hip joint in which the ball on top of the thighbone is not held firmly in the socket, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The condition can usually be corrected when detected at birth. Left untreated, DDH can lead to pain and osteoarthritis by early adulthood. Karen was grateful for Dr. Buckley’s specialized care. “I’m so glad we didn’t have to go to Nashville or Birmingham for this. We had an expert right here in Huntsville,” she said.
Dr. Buckley began Charlotte’s treatment by putting her in a soft positioning device, a Pavlik Harness, which she would wear constantly for six weeks, then only at night for another six weeks. This device helps tighten the ligaments around the hip joint and promote normal socket formation. This method is often successful, and by the fourth week Charlotte’s right hip had stabilized. The left hip would require a closed reduction, a non-invasive procedure performed in an operating room using dye as a guide to reposition the hip into its socket. In October, Dr. Buckley performed the procedure and placed baby Charlotte into a cast that covered the lower body up to the chest, minimizing the movement of her hips.
Charlotte
Karen had planned to breastfeed because she knew it would be best for her baby. She worried about how she could breastfeed around a harness and then later a cast. This problem was resolved with help of the lactation consultants at Huntsville Hospital. Karen has continued nursing throughout the process while keeping a close watch on Charlotte’s weight. She has thrived through the process.
Because babies grow so rapidly, Charlotte’s cast was changed every four weeks and with each cast change, Dr. Buckley repeated the closed reduction procedure to correct Charlotte’s DDH. “I appreciate the conservative approach Dr. Buckley took with Charlotte - not rushing into surgery prematurely,” Karen said. By January when Charlotte had not responded well to the closed reduction procedures, Dr. Buckley recommended an open reduction, a more aggressive approach to correct Charlotte’s hip dysplasia.
On August 19, Karen took Charlotte to Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children at 5:30 in the morning for her open reduction. In this procedure, Dr. Buckley made an incision along the baby’s bikini line, then reset and tightened the hip. Three weeks following the surgery, an x-ray revealed that the hip was still in place!
The Chadwicks are so thankful for the expert, specialized and compassionate care they have received from Dr. Buckley and the TOC team. “Dr. Buckley is the best,” Karen says. “I honestly think he contemplates her case outside the office and has been very focused on seeing her condition improve.”
Charlotte
Charlotte’s cast is being removed on October 1! Valley Babies will update you on Charlotte’s progress online.