A diagnosis of 'clicky hip' can be confusing. Family GP, Dr Sue Morrison, advises.

Raisingkids member's problem
My 9 month-old recently had a health check. I was told she has a clicky hip and is to be referred for further examinations. What is a 'clicky hip' and what course of treatment is usually prescribed?

Also, should this problem have been picked up earlier or is it common for a baby of this age? My daughter is not keen to put her weight through her feet, could this be related to her hip problem?

Dr Morrison's advice
A clicky hip usually means that the practitioner who examined the hip can move the thighbone (femur) more than is usual in the hip joint socket in the pelvis. This is important, because in a very few babies (about 0.2%) the hip joint will be too loose, and the femur may move out of proper position so that it 'sub-luxes' or dislocates. This prevents the joint developing normally and can interfere with normal development of walking.

Babies are checked soon after birth, and again at about 6-8 weeks, and about 8 months. Dislocation, or potential dislocation, of the hip is a difficult condition to diagnose, which is why it is checked for at repeated intervals. In the majority of affected cases there is a predisposing condition, e.g. breech birth, a family history or Caesarean birth. Firstborn girls tend to be most affected.

Children affected often limp when they begin to walk, but it doesn't necessarily stop weight-bearing. The condition can be confirmed by ultrasound image, and treatment most usually consists of a 'spika' (a device that keeps the hips in a controlled position).

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