Surviving DDH – A dad’s perspective
Finding out your child has hip dysplasia can be just as hard on the dads as it is on the mums. A lot of the online DDH support networks are full of mums, which sometimes makes dads, feel out of place when they seek support.
Rob, Secretary for Healthy Hips Australia and father of two daughters with DDH, shares his tips here:
#1 – Don’t wrap your kid(s) up in cotton wool; their animal survival instinct will surprise you. Yes they need some extra help, but given a chance, they figure out a way to get around and still have fun.
#2 – Everything takes longer with the brace or cast; give mum a break where / when ever you can.
#3 – If you can, go to the progress reviews and keep an open mind; it can be a bit like watching grass grow.
#4 – Focus your urge to ‘fix-it’ on finding ways to make your kid(s) more comfortable when playing or sitting.
#5 – It’s not the end of the world, but yes it does suck.
Please drop us a line if you’d like to connect with other dad’s impacted by DDH.
For more information about hip dysplasia:
Written: January 2016. Updated February 2019.
Disclaimer
This information is intended to support, not replace, discussion with your doctor or healthcare professionals. Every effort is made to ensure this information is up to date, accurate and easy to understand. Healthy Hips Australia accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies, information perceived as misleading. This can be reproduce with acknowledgement to Healthy Hips Australia. Handouts are available to download free of charge at www.healthyhipsaustralia.org.au