Differences in risk factors between early and late diagnosed developmental dysplasia of the hip

BACKGROUND: Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is common, affecting 7.3 per 1000 births in South Australia. Clinical screening programmes exist to identify the condition early to gain the maximum benefit from early treatment. Although these screening programmes are effective, there are still cases that are missed. Previous research has highlighted key risk factors in the development of DDH. OBJECTIVE: To compare the risk factors of cases of DDH identified late with those that were diagnosed early. METHODS: A total of 1281 children with DDH born in 1988-1996 were identified from the South Australian Birth Defects Register. Hospital records of those who had surgery for DDH within 5 years of life were examined for diagnosis details. Twenty seven (2.1%) had been diagnosed at or after 3 months of age and were considered the late DDH cases (a prevalence of 0.15 per 1000 live births). Various factors were compared with early diagnosed DDH cases. RESULTS: Female sex, vertex presentation, normal delivery, rural birth, and discharge from hospital less than 4 days after birth all significantly increased the risk of late diagnosis of DDH. CONCLUSIONS: The results show differences in the risk factors for early and late diagnosed DDH. Some known risk factors for DDH are in fact protective for late diagnosis. These results highlight the need for broad newborn population screening and continued vigilance and training in screening programmes.     

Developmental dysplasia of the hip: a new approach to incidence

OBJECTIVE: The controversy over the incidence of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) stems mainly from an ambiguity of criteria for defining a genuinely pathologic neonatal hip. In this study, we evaluate an algorithm we devised for the treatment of DDH, for its ability to identify those neonatal hips which, if left untreated, would develop any kind of dysplasia and, therefore, are to be included in the determination of DDH incidence. METHODS: Clinical and ultrasonographic examinations for DDH were performed on 18 060 consecutive neonatal hips at 1 to 3 days of life. Newborns with skeletal deformities, neurologic/muscular disorders, and neural tube defects were excluded. Hips that featured any type of sonographic pathology were reexamined at 2 or 6 weeks, depending on the severity of the findings. Only hips in which the initial pathology was not improved or had deteriorated were treated; all others were examined periodically until the age of 12 months. RESULTS: Sonographic screening of 18 060 hips detected 1001 instances of deviation from normal, indicating a sonographic DDH incidence of 55.1 per 1000. However, only 90 hips remained abnormal and required treatment, indicating a true DDH incidence of 5 per 1000 hips. All the others evolved into normal hips, and no additional instances of DDH were found on follow-up throughout the 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of our protocol enables us to distinguish two categories of neonatal hip pathology: one that eventually develops into a normal hip (essentially sonographic DDH); and another that will deteriorate into a hip with some kind of dysplasia, including full dislocation (true DDH). This approach seems to allow for a better-founded definition of DDH, for an appropriate determination of its incidence, for decision-making regarding treatment, and for assessment of the cost-effectiveness of screening programs for the early detection of DDH.     

Successful screening for neonatal hip instability in Australia

OBJECTIVE: Australian screening programmes for congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH) are characterized by lower neonatal hip instability (NHI) detection rates than more successful international programmes. Through creating a quality, accountable clinical screening programme for NHI detection, the present study aimed to establish the true incidence of NHI in Australian babies and to eliminate 'late diagnosed' CDH. METHODS: Doctors responsible for routine neonatal care were made accountable for NHI detection and examined 5166 consecutive live births in the first days of life between 1989 and 2000. Techniques for clinical NHI detection were taught, and doctors practised with teaching-mannequins. Paediatricians clinically determined true positive NHI cases and managed them for a 12-month period. Peer review of NHI detection rates was introduced to encourage accountability. Surveillance for 'late diagnosed' CDH occurred regularly through a variety of methods. RESULTS: One hundred babies with NHI were detected (19.4 per 1000): 77% were female; 26% were breech presentation, 25% had a family history of hip instability; and all received some form of splinting. Follow up for 85% of these babies at 12 months revealed no significant complications. Extensive searching has revealed no baby with 'late diagnosed' CDH from the study population in 12 years. One baby commenced treatment late (at 4 months) because of a failure of process following early NHI detection. CONCLUSIONS: The true incidence of NHI in Australia is > or =19 per 1000 births. Successful clinical CDH screening programmes using primary care doctors can be created and might eliminate 'late diagnosed' CDH.     

Developmental dysplasia of the hip in South Australia in 1991: Prevalence and risk factors

To determine the prevalence of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in South Australia (SA) in 1991, the proportion of cases detected in the neonatal period and the perinatal risk factors for DDH.

Methodology:

Cases of DDH born in SA in 1991 were identified from multiple sources and their clinical data linked to perinatal data provided by midwives; five controls per case were obtained randomly from SA livebirths without congenital abnormalities and adjusted odds ratios (OR) for potential risk factors obtained by logistic regression analysis. South Australia perinatal data were also used to estimate numbers of births with perinatal risk factors for targeted screening.

Results:

Two hundred and six cases of isolated DDH were identified, giving a prevalence of 10.5 per 1000 births. Of these, 173 (84%) had been detected in the neonatal period. The perinatal risk factors for DDH were identified as breech presentation (OR 9.65), female babies (OR 4.04), first births (OR 1.91) and maternal age of 25 years or more (OR 1.53). Screening breech and firstborn female babies (23% of births) would yield approximately 51% of cases of DDH.

Conclusions:

Isolated DDH had a prevalence of 10.5 per 1000 births and 84% of cases had been detected in the neonatal period in SA. Repeated screening during infancy of 'at risk' groups of babies is recommended.     

Congenital dislocation of the hip: early and late diagnosis and management compared.

During the decade 1970-9, 23 002 infants born in the University of Bristol Department of Obstetrics were examined for congenital dislocation of the hip by junior members of the paediatric staff on the first day of life and again on discharge from hospital. Suspected hip abnormality was checked by a senior member of the staff on the same day. A total of 445 (1.9%) infants were found to have a hip abnormality in the neonatal period. Immediate treatment in an abduction splint was undertaken, usually six weeks for dislocatable hips and 12 weeks for dislocated hips. Routine follow up included clinical and radiological examination at six, 12, 24, and 60 months. Altogether 90% completed the 12 month, 85% the 24 month, and 76% the 60 month checks. Five infants (1.1%) required further orthopaedic treatment (adductor tenotomy and abduction splinting) but no major surgery was necessary, nor was avascular necrosis encountered. The radiological results were excellent. Every effort (1970-84) was also made to identify all cases of late congenital dislocation of the hip diagnosed after the neonatal period in infants born to women in Avon during the same decade (n = 103 431). Ninety one cases were detected (0.88 per 1000 births), 10 in the university cohort (0.44 per 1000) and 81 in the non-university group (1.00 per 1000) (P less than 0.01). Seven of 10 in the former group required open surgery and in seven the radiological outcome at follow up was moderate or poor. The early and late diagnosed groups are compared in respect of perinatal factors and management. It is possible to detect most cases of congenital dislocation of the hip at birth and treat them safely and successfully.     

Management of neonatal hip instability and dysplasia

The diagnosis and treatment of neonatal hip instability and dysplasia is controversial. Different countries have different algorithms and guidelines on which hips should be screened or treated. German speaking countries have introduced universal ultra sound hip screening programmes resulting in relatively high splintage rates in certain centres. Some Scandinavian centres have organised selective screening programmes with serial ultrasound observation of hip instabilities, leading to comparatively low splintage rates. Though most experts would treat clinical hip instability (confirmed by ultrasound evaluation), the natural history and epidemiology of dysplasia is less well understood. The treatment regimes for neonatal dysplasia are varied with wide differences in the rates of splintage. 'Late' dislocation may be secondary to prenatal dislocation (teratogenic), neonatal hip instability or to persistent major dysplasia of the hip. The term 'missed' dislocation should not be used as this suggests negligence on the part of the examiner, when this may not be the case. Which splint to use (rigid or dynamic), at what age, and for how long, are questions currently unresolved as no proper controlled trials have been undertaken. However, a sensible treatment algorithm can be advocated. Complications secondary to splintage are rare, though nerve damage, avascular necrosis of the hip, redislocation and skin problems have been described.     

新生儿及婴儿发育性髋关节异常早期筛查及早期治疗的探讨

目的通过对新生儿及婴儿发育性髋关节异常的早期筛查,结合临床检查与超声检查诊断的评价,推动新生儿及婴儿发育性髋关节异常的早期诊治。方法对本院出生的1213例新生儿及866例年龄6个月以下婴儿进行临床及超声早期筛查（Graf方法）,以明确诊断,及时治疗。结果新生儿早期疑诊45例,最终确诊5例,婴儿确诊3例,经用Pavlik吊带治疗6例痊愈,1例6个月后行闭合复位石膏固定治疗。结论新生儿期超声检查髋关节不稳定率偏高（Graflla型髋）,发育性髋关节异常的早期筛查,特别是低于6个月的超声检查检出率高,各科医师合作有利于DDH的早期诊治。     

Selective ultrasound screening for developmental hip dysplasia: effect on management and late detected cases. A prospective survey during 1991–2006

Background

Early treatment is considered essential for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), but the choice of screening strategy is debated.

Objective

We evaluated the effect of a selective ultrasound (US) screening programme.

Materials and methods

All infants born in a defined region during 1991–2006 with increased risk of developmental dysplasia of the hip, i.e. clinical hip instability, breech presentation, congenital foot deformities or a family history of DDH, underwent US screening at age 1–3 days. Severe sonographic dysplasia and dislocatable/dislocated hips were treated with abduction splints. Mild dysplasia and pathological instability, i.e. not dislocatable/dislocated hips were followed clinically and sonographically until spontaneous resolution, or until treatment became necessary. The minimum observation period was 5.5 years.

Results

Of 81,564 newborns, 11,539 (14.1%) were identified as at-risk, of whom 11,190 (58% girls) were included for further analyses. Of the 81,564 infants, 2,433 (3.0%) received early treatment; 1,882 (2.3%) from birth and 551 (0.7%) after 6 weeks or more of clinical and sonographic surveillance. An additional 2,700 (3.3%) normalised spontaneously after watchful waiting from birth. Twenty-six infants (0.32 per 1,000, 92% girls, two from the risk group) presented with late subluxated/dislocated hips (after 1 month of age). An additional 126 (1.5 per 1,000, 83% girls, one from the risk group) were treated after isolated late residual dysplasia. Thirty-one children (0.38 per 1,000) had surgical treatment before age 5 years. Avascular necrosis was diagnosed in seven of all children treated (0.27%), four after early and three after late treatment.

Conclusion

The first 16 years of a standardised selective US screening programme for developmental dysplasia of the hip resulted in acceptable rates of early treatment and US follow-ups and low rates of late subluxated/dislocated hips compared to similar studies.     

CONGENITAL DISLOCATION OF THE HIP IN NORWAY Late Diagnosis CDH in the Years 1970 to 1974

ABSTRACT. A survey of 274 late detected cases of CDH born in the years 1970–74 is presented. The incidence of late cases in southeast Norway was calculated to 2.2 per 1000 live births. The hips of all patients were examined at birth, the majority by trained pediatricians, without disclosing any hip affections. 86% were females. Only 6.9% were delivered in the breech position. One–half of the patients had luxation (20%) or subluxation (30%), the rest had dysplasia without dislocation. In 19% both hips were involved. The low incidence of breech presentations in late CDH-cases compared with the incidence among neonatal cases (15.7%) point to some etiological differences. It seems that we in Norway have two types of CDH, one caused by joint laxity and detectable at birth and another, not present at birth, with progressive dysplasia of the hip and dislocation developing during the first year of life.     

Screening for congenital dislocation of the hip, scoliosis, and other abnormalities affecting the musculoskeletal system

The three main conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system currently being screened for are spina bifida cystica, congenital dislocation of the hip, and scoliosis. The techniques of screening are different for each: amniotic fluid analysis for spina bifida cystica, a manual physical examination for congenital dislocation of the hip, and a visual examination for scoliosis. Properly time amniotic fluid analysis for alpha-fetoprotein is both a sensitive and specific test for neural tube defects. However, because of the low incidence of spina bifida cystica, this examination is justified only in high-risk pregnancies. Maternal serum screening has not achieved widespread acceptance because of its lack of sensitivity and the low and apparently falling incidence of the deformity. The neonatal manual examination for congenital dislocation of the hip is now well established and widely practiced. Almost all agree that the incidence of persistent congenital dislocation of the hip has been lowered as a result. However, the examination lacks both sensitivity and specificity because of intrinsic difficulties with the examination and the occurrence of late onset subluxation and dislocation. It is becoming apparent that congenital dislocation of the hip is a dynamic problem in the peri- and early neonatal period. Repeated careful evaluation of the hips during infancy is necessary to make the diagnosis as early as possible. To further enhance early detection, it may be necessary to consider obtaining an anteroposterior pelvis radiograph at age 4 to 6 months in babies at high risk. The visual evaluation for scoliosis is a very sensitive test but lacks specificity. Efforts are now being made to quantify visual screening techniques and thus decrease the numbers of false-positive examinations.     

Developmental dysplasia of the hip: Risk markers, clinical screening and outcome

Background: Early detection, diagnosis and treatment of developmental dysplasia/dislocation of hip (DDH) are essential in preventing further disability and quality of life impairment in children. DDH risk markers and association between the age of clinical screening and outcome, were evaluated.
Methods: Clinical screening at ages birth, 6 and 13 weeks was performed in 8145 infants by pediatricians. Infants suspected for DDH were referred to the community hospital clinic for clinical evaluation by a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, imaging procedures and follow up. Demographic and perinatal characteristics of the children with suspected ( n = 77) and diagnosed DDH ( n = 51) were compared to matched controls ( n = 154).
Results: The rate of suspected DDH was 0.95% and that of diagnosed DDH was 0.63%. Female gender, firstborn child and breech presentation were significantly more frequent among cases versus controls (odds ratio [OR]: 4.3, 2.7, and 6 respectively; P < 0.05). The highest positive predictive value (95.5%) in physical evaluation was any evidence of a dislocatable hip. The proportion of DDH among infants referred from the newborn department was significantly higher (OR, 4.4). DDH diagnosis after 6 weeks of age was associated with a higher likelihood of subsequent surgery and motor disability. Untoward outcome was significantly associated with increasing age of referral both at ages of 6 and 13 weeks ( P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Children with DDH have certain specific demographic and perinatal risk markers. Clinical screening targeted towards early diagnosis may lessen the need for surgical intervention and the risk of disability or motor handicap.     

Screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip: Results of a 7-year follow-up study

BACKGROUND: Screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is widely recommended for all infants to prevent disability from late diagnosis of dislocation of the hip. The present study evaluates the results of screening for developmental dislocation of hip in a clinic in Turkey over the course of 7 years. METHODS: Hospital records of 5798 infants who were examined regularly until walking age at Gazi University well child clinics between January 1995 and December 2001 were reviewed. Infants with known risk factors for DDH such as breech presentation, family history of DDH or swaddling, and of infants with physical examination findings suggestive of DDH, were referred to orthopedic surgeons for diagnosis. Based on this final diagnosis, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of risk factors and physical examination findings were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 5798 infants, risk factors were detected in the medical history of 111 infants, and in 14 infants a musculoskeletal deformity was detected. In 606 infants the physical examination findings were suggestive of DDH. Ten patients were subsequently diagnosed with DDH. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive values of having a risk factor for DDH in history were 10.0%, 98.1%, 0.9%, 99.8%, and having abnormal hip examination findings were 100.0%, 88.9%, 1.6% and 100.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A careful history and physical examination is the cornerstone of DDH screening. Serial hip examinations performed during health examination visits provide an opportunity to identify DDH cases. The sensitivity of risk factors in history and physical examination findings together is high enough to be accepted as a screening tool.     

婴幼儿发育性髋关节异常的早期诊断

目的 报道采用超声波髋关节检查技术诊断新生儿和小婴儿发育性髋关节异常(DDH)和早期处理的初步经验。方法 2002年4月～2002年9月，391例临床怀疑DDH，年龄小于l岁的婴幼儿在上海儿童医学中心接受了超声波髋关节检查，其中男193例(49．4％)，女198例(50．6％)。最小年龄5d，最大年龄354d。其中新生儿24例(6．14％)，2个月婴儿52例(13．30％)，3个月婴儿54例(13．81％)，4～6个月婴儿164例(41．94％)，6～12个月婴儿97例(24．81％)。参照Graf等分类方法，检查者被分为五类，其中髋关节发育不良、髋关节半脱位和髋关节全脱位者定为DDH。髋关节发育不成熟者采取随访观察。年龄小于6个月的DDH接受了早期Pavlik吊带治疗，并采用超声波跟踪，决定治疗的终止或改动。结果 300例超声波检查正常，91例超声波检查阳性，其中42例诊断为DDH。接受随访的35例髋关节发育不成熟病例中，29例自行恢复。Pavlik吊带治疗在小于6个月DDH婴幼儿中成功率为91．67％。结论 采用超声波髋关节诊断技术可以早期发现新生儿和小婴儿DDH，并施行早期治疗，可以提高DDH在儿童期的治愈率，减少漏诊病例，简化治疗，提高疗效。     

Neonatal hip instability: results and experiences from ten years of screening with the anterior-dynamic ultrasound method

AIM: To record the results and experiences from a 10-y screening period with the anterior-dynamic ultrasound method for detecting neonatal hip instability. METHODS: An ultrasonographic improvement of the Palmén/Barlow test was used. The screening programme included 22,047 newborns. Decisions about treatment were made solely on the ultrasound result. RESULTS: It was found that 175 infants (7.9/1000) had at least one unstable hip--dislocated or dislocatable. Dislocated hips were found in 1.1/1000. Dislocatable hips were found in 6.8/1000 but only 1.1/1000 needed treatment. The total frequency of treatment was 2.2/1000. All cases but one were diagnosed before discharge from the maternity ward. The rate of surgery was 0.1/1000 newborns. Girls were more affected than boys, by a ratio of 3:1. Among the affected hips 64.4% were a left hip. CONCLUSION: Neonatal hip instability is always present at birth and can be diagnosed immediately after birth. We have no indications that instability can appear at a later stage. The anterior-dynamic ultrasound screening programme is an efficient tool to diagnose neonatal hip instability and to decide when to begin treatment.     

发育性髋关节发育不良发病危险因素的研究进展

发育性髋关节发育不良(developmental dysplasia of the hip,DDH)是小儿骨科常见的下肢发育畸形,严重危害患者及其家长身心健康。影响DDH发病的因素可大致分为两部分,即遗传因素和环境因素。随着20世纪80年代高检出率髋关节超声的应用及国家二胎政策的开放,可预见未来一段时期内DDH患者数量将会增加。早诊断、早治疗是该病国内外公认的诊治原则,0~6月龄更是其治疗的黄金时期。但目前其发病的确切病因、发病机制尚不完全清楚,因此对婴儿进行早期筛查和及时干预,对早期诊治意义重大。笔者通过简要综述发育性髋关节发育不良发病危险因素的研究进展,以期为DDH早期筛查和诊断提供参考。     

Diagnosis and management of developmental hip dysplasia

Congenital dislocation of the hip represents a spectrum of disease from transient neonatal hip instability to established dislocation. Established risk factors include breech presentation and a positive family history. Emphasis should be placed on early diagnosis and treatment to minimize the need for surgical intervention. Clinical assessment has limited accuracy which further diminishes soon after birth. Ultrasound based screening is more sensitive, but controversy remains as to which method to use and its effect on outcome. When initiated early, treatment using a simple abduction device such as a Pavlik harness has an excellent success rate. Resistant cases and late presentations usually require surgical management, which are largely age dependent. We discuss the condition, detail the screening protocol in our institution and outline the surgical options in this article.     

Prevalence, causes, and outcome at 2 years of age of newborn encephalopathy: population based study

OBJECTIVES: To ascertain the prevalence of newborn encephalopathy in term live births, and also the underlying diagnoses, timing, and outcome at 2 years of surviving infants. DESIGN: Population based observational study. SETTING: North Pas-de-Calais area of France, January to December 2000. PATIENTS: All 90 neonates with moderate or severe newborn encephalopathy. RESULTS: The prevalence of moderate or severe newborn encephalopathy was 1.64 per 1000 term live births (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30 to 1.98). The prevalence of birth asphyxia was 0.86 per 1000 term live births (95% CI 0.61 to 1.10). The main cause of newborn encephalopathy was birth asphyxia, diagnosed in 47 (52%) infants. It was associated with another diagnosis in 11/47 cases (23%). The timing was intrapartum in 56% of cases, antepartum in 13%, ante-intrapartum in 10%, and postpartum in 2%. In 19% of cases, no underlying cause was identified during the neonatal course. Twenty four infants died in the neonatal period, giving a fatality rate of 27% (95% CI 17% to 36%). Three infants died after the neonatal period. At 2 years of age, 38 infants had a poor outcome, defined by death or severe disability, a prevalence of 0.69 per 1000 term live births (95% CI 0.47 to 0.91). In infants with isolated birth asphyxia, this prevalence was 0.36 per 1000 term live births (95% CI 0.20 to 0.52). CONCLUSIONS: The causes of newborn encephalopathy were heterogeneous but the main one was birth asphyxia. The prevalence was low, but the outcome was poor, emphasising the need for prevention programmes and new therapeutic approaches.     

Prevalence of congenital heart disease assessed by echocardiography in 2067 consecutive newborns

Aim: There are discrepancies in the reported prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD). This study prospectively evaluated the prevalence of CHD in consecutive newborns using echocardiographic screening. Methods: A cohort screening study was conducted in an unselected series of all live‐birth newborns. Two‐dimensional and colour Doppler echocardiography was performed at 0–4 days of life in 2067 consecutive neonates who were born at the Hamamatsu University Hospital, Japan, between May 2005 and April 2010. Results: There were 104 cases of CHD in the 2067 live births. Ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus were the most frequent cardiac abnormalities. The prevalence of newborns with CHD who had signs or symptoms of CHD and/or required invasive intervention was 21.3 per 1000 live births. However, 60 patients (29.0 per 1000 live births) with CHD were asymptomatic and did not need invasive intervention. The overall prevalence of CHD in this series was 50.3 per 1000 live births. Conclusion: This prospective study using echocardiography for all newborns shows a higher prevalence of CHD than almost all of the previous studies.     

Epidemiology of neonatal sepsis in South Korea

Background:  Neonatal sepsis is a severe clinical syndrome characterized by systemic signs of infection, shock and system organ failure; diagnosis is confirmed on positive culture from a normally sterile site(s). There are few reports comparing incidence, mortality, and risk factors between clinically diagnosed sepsis and that confirmed by culture.
Methods:  All infants diagnosed with early- (within first 72 h after birth) or late-onset (72 h–4 weeks after birth) neonatal sepsis between 1997 and 1999 from four neonatal centers in South Korea, were investigated.
Results:  The estimated incidence rate of neonatal sepsis during the 3 years was 30.5 per 1000 live births for clinical sepsis and 6.1 per 1000 live births for sepsis with positive culture, with case-fatality rates of 4.7% and 2.2%, respectively. When only early-onset sepsis was considered, the incidence and fatality rates were 25.1 per 1000 live births and 6.1% for clinical sepsis, and 4.3 per 1000 live births and 2.5% for culture-confirmed sepsis, respectively. For the 179 patients (185 causative organisms) of proven sepsis, Staphylococcus spp. including S. aureus were the most frequent isolates. In early-onset clinical sepsis, having very low birthweight (≤1500 g), a low Apgar score at 5 min (≤7), and being male were related to higher rates of case-fatality (relative risk: 11.3, 6.8 and 2.5, respectively)
Conclusions:  Clinical sepsis was more common than culture-confirmed sepsis and had a higher case-fatality rate. It seems prudent to take rapid and decisive steps toward better management of the high-risk group whether the sepsis is clinically diagnosed or culture confirmed.     

Ultrasonographic evaluation of breech presentation as a risk factor for hip dysplasia

In order to gain more information of breech position as a risk factor for congenital hip dysplasia or dislocation, the hips of 408 newborns delivered in the breech position were examined by ultrasound. Clinical examination was performed by both experienced paediatricians and orthopaedic surgeons. The infants were re-examined by ultrasound at 2–3 months of age. Twenty-five newborns (6.1%) had neonatal hip instability. Breech presentation as a risk factor was confirmed, with first borns, breech position with extended knees, and high birthweight as special high-risk groups. Ultrasound showed subluxation in most of the unstable hips. The main benefit of using ultrasound was that direct visualization permitted more reliable evaluation, especially when the clinical findings were uncertain. Normal ultrasound findings in false positive and uncertain Ortolani tests reduced the frequency of unnecessary treatment. Because ultrasound was used in follow-up, the need of radiography was reduced. There were no late-detected cases of hip dysplasia or dislocation, indicating that routine follow-up is not necessary in breech infants with normal hips at birth, provided that the neonatal screening is optimal.