Evaluation by ultrasound of the hips of babies carried in baby carriers

Abstract Background and objective Hip dysplasia has been associated with risk factors such as breech presentation, female gender or family history. However, external factors, such as the use of baby carriers, seem to influence the development of the hip in the first months of life. The aim of this study is to evaluate the position of the hips of babies placed in different types of baby carriers by ultrasound image. Method An ultrasound study of the hips of healthy babies between 1.5 and 3.5 months of age was carried out, when the children were carried in three different baby backpacks, which provide different degrees of support for the babies’ thighs. All hips were type I according to the Graf classification. Graf's alpha angle, acetabular coverage and distance to the pubis were assessed at baseline (examination table) and when the children were carried in the three different backpacks. Results In all cases, the babies showed normal values in the three studied parameters, without statistically significant differences between any of the situations. There were also no differences in the ultrasound parameters related to the sex, age or weight of the baby. Conclusions The right hip of the babies shows normal ultrasound parameters when placed in any of the baby carriers studied.