Why is the child's leg lame but not painful?

If parents find that their child has a limp but the child does not show any symptoms on his own, it is important to pay attention to it. This may be caused by a dislocated joint, most commonly the hip or ankle. This phenomenon will not cause pain, but it is extremely harmful to the baby. If it is discovered late, it may even have a great impact on the child's growth and development, and walking posture.

What causes hip dislocation?

The hip joint is what we commonly call the hip axis. The hips play a role in our walking and maintaining balance. It's about leg lifting. Simply put, it is a convex bone enclosed by a concave acetabulum. The hip bones begin to develop during fetal development and continue to mature after delivery. However, some babies are born without the ideal ball and socket formed in their hips, which is mainly manifested by a shallow socket. When the doctor rotates the baby's hip joint, he will hear a dull "click" sound, which will make it easy for the thigh bone to slip out of the hip socket, which may cause abnormal development of the hip joint in the long run. By the time the thigh bone really slips out of the hip socket, it has developed into "hip dislocation".

What are the dangers of hip dislocation?

Untreated hip dislocation, especially if it is not discovered until after the baby is 1 year old. The most troublesome thing is that the mother has no idea that there is such a disease, and she doesn’t have the habit of regularly checking this part of the baby in daily life, so if it happens, it will easily delay the child. Because hip dislocation itself has a characteristic: the earlier it is discovered and treated, the better the prognosis. The most serious complication that can result from delayed treatment is that the baby's legs will be different in length, which can cause a bumpy gait and eventually lead to hip pain and limping. Sometimes one foot can be seen pointing outward.

How to check your baby's hip at home

1. Baby lying on his back: Stretch out both lower limbs and find that the baby's knees and heels are not on the same level.

2. Baby lying prone: When the lower limbs are stretched out and put together, you will find that the baby's buttock lines are asymmetrical or one thigh is smooth while the other thigh has more leg lines.

3. When the baby is lying on his back and in a naturally relaxed state, spread his thighs outward. The legs cannot move outward to 80 degrees normally, only to about 40 degrees.