Congenital hip instability in hospital born neonates in Abha.
In a prospective screening of 2222 consecutive live hospital births over a ten-month period in Abha, there was an incidence of 3.6% for congenital hip instability by examination within 48 hours of delivery. This is a higher incidence than that reported from most parts of the world and is comparable to earlier Japanese figures. This suggests a regional variation in the incidence of his instability within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Bilateral instability was found in 32% and there was a left lateral dominance. There was a significantly higher incidence in female babies, in the local Saudi population and in first degree relatives of affected babies. Hip instability was noted in 8% of breech deliveries. No association was demonstrable with maternal age, birth order, size of the baby or gestation. Our findings are compared with other published data from Saudi Arabia and the West. The need for continued appropriate neonatal screening for early diagnosis of congenital hip instability is emphasized.
Khan
M R
MR
Division of Orthopedics, Department of Surgery, and Department of Child Health, College of Medicine, King Saud University-Abha Branch, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Benjamin
B
B