Hip Dysplasia - Support at last!

There is a lovely blogger and lady who I have followed almost since my first days on twitter. Natalie runs the fabulous blog – The Devonista which covers life with her two boys and how she’s gone from a PR girl to being a stay at home mum. When her second son was born he was diagnosed with hip Dysplasia. Having gone and still going through it all she had noticed there were no books for mums to help and six years when he was first diagnosed no social media either. With this huge gap of support for parents she sat and wrote Cast Life.

DDH – FINALLY HELP FOR PARENTS IS HERE

Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) occurs when the ball and socket of the hip joint do not fit snugly together and whilst it affects between one and three children in every thousand, information and support is shockingly poor leaving parents feeling confused when a diagnosis is made.

I know only too well that whilst DDH is not life threatening, it certainly is life changing and the earlier it is spotted the less likely a child will suffer a life time of pain, disability and hip replacements.  

My son was diagnosed at nearly 5 months and we went from a life of coffee mornings and baby massage to endless appointments, scans and operations.  I felt out of my depth and wanted know as much about the condition as possible so I understood the treatments being offer and could see a way forward.

My initial search for information threw up horrific images and worst-case scenarios that simply compounded my fear. There were no books, few leaflets and as this was six years ago, the social media support that exists to day simply wasn’t there. 

Despite having endured three operations and endure many casts and a lot of pain, a recent check up showed Lucas needed further surgery. As Lucas was wheeled into theatre this November I was still receiving emails and messages congratulating me on the launch night of my book, Cast Life – A Parent’s Guide to DDH’, which I was inspired to write by my amazing son.  

Cast Life includes everything from clear explanations about the condition and the treatments involved to the products available to make life easier for children in casts. It also looks at family life, dealing with emotions as well including first person stories and parent comments. Over time I cobbled together information as we went along but didn’t ever find one solid resource that offered me comfort and solace.

Professor N. M. P. Clarke ChM, DM, FRCS Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, who wrote the foreword for Cast Life, commented, ““DDH is one of the most common congenital abnormalities and it is remarkable that there is so little information out there. This book is essential reading for the parents of children with the condition, as well as health professionals working with them, and I would love to see it in all clinics around the world.”


Cast Life isn’t loaded with medical jargon, but gives the reader the knowledge and facts they need to get to grips with DDH so they regain a little bit of control and power in what can be a tough situation.

I am not a medical professional, many did contribute to this book however, but a mother who hopes her experiences and the determination of her son and strength of her family will help empower others and offer them a little solace.

Cast Life is available on Amazon and I have also set up a charity called Spica Warrior (www.spicawarrior.org) offering information about DDH and 10% of the book royalties will be going to this cause.

Natalie Trice is an author, blogger and freelancer writer.  As a mummy, wife, cat and dog owner she doesn’t get much free time but when she does she’ll be found drinking coffee with friends, reading glossy magazines and dreaming of living by the sea. Lover of heals, wearer of trainers, she has many dresses but mainly throws on gym gear.