HIPS AND SPINE

I think everyone would agree that, in terms of mobility, a "typical" 2 year old walks and runs all over the place. Considering Emmalin is still working on sitting up and head control, running and walking are obviously things that Emmalin cannot do yet. So, back in September of last year, Emmalin's doctor decided to do some x-rays on Emmalin's hips (both of them) and spine to get a baseline on how her body was developing as it was growing. When they came back, Emmalin's spine x-ray was great, but her hip x-rays showed that they were not forming the way they were supposed to be forming. We were told that this is very typical of children who have developmental delays and who are not walking (which means not weight bearing and that’s what the hips need to form correctly). Dr. Weisenberg thought that it would be a good idea to get an orthopedist "on board" so that we can start monitoring Emmalin's hips and spine more closely. So, back in January, we were referred to a doctor named Eric Gordon, an orthopedic doctor that also works at the St. Louis Children's Hospital. When we got in to see Dr. Gordon, and he said that Emmalin's hips were angled at 21 degrees and 23 degrees. A “typical” 2 year olds hips should be angled at 20 degrees. He also told us that given Emmalin's circumstances (developmental delays and not walking), he was not overly concerned at this time and that we will keep updating her hip x-rays every 6 months. I then asked him we can be doing at home to try to help the hips get a little more weigh bearing so they had an opportunity to form correctly. He said to make sure that we are doing exercises (that he showed us), keep up all the therapy, and to increase her time in her Super Stand (a piece of equipment we have at our house that literally stander her up).

As for her spine, Dr. Gordon looked at that x-ray and confirmed (again) for us that Emmalin's spine looked great. But he did say that now that she is 2 and still not walking, we will now need to start keeping an eye out for scoliosis. This is a normal thing that they start watching for in any child that is not walking on their own. Dr. Gordon said that we will repeat a spine x-ray once a year, as long as the spine continues to stay straight.

So for now, this is where we stand on these two things. We go see Dr. Gordon at the end of June again to follow up on everything again. We will be hoping that Emmalin's hips have formed a little more and that her spine continues to stay straight! I will keep you posted!!!