Geographical Distribution of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: A Brief Epidemiological Study of Iran

Local epidemiological data are necessary to identify the disease hot spots and running screening programs. In this study, we evaluated the demographic characteristics of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in a tertiary referral hospital in Iran.  

In a retrospective study, the medical profiles of 137 DDH children, who were referred to our university hospital between 2014 and 2020, were reviewed for characteristics such as gender, place of birth, age at the diagnosis, gestational age (term or preterm), twin or single birth, mother's age, pregnancy number, breech presentation, associated deformity, family history of DDH, et cetera.  

The study population included 24 (17.5%) boys and 113 (82.5%) girls with a mean age of 2.3 ± 2 years. In the majority of cases (54.2%), it was the firstborn. Twin delivery was seen in only 5 (4.1%) cases. The associated deformity was noticed in 17 (12.4%) patients. Clubfoot was the most commonly associated deformity that was seen in 6 of 17 (35.3%) patients. A family history of DDH was recorded in 12 (8.8%) patients. The breech presentation was recorded in 19 (13.9%) patients. The mean age of the mother at the delivery was 27.2 ± 6.1 years. Tehran, Lorestan, Kurdistan, and Khuzestan provinces had the most referrals.  

DDH is associated with the female sex, positive family history, breech presentation at delivery, clubfoot deformity, and geographic district. These associations could be used for identifying the disease hot spots and running screening programs for earlier detection and better management of DDH.