The nurse practitioner who examined our new born kept moving the hip back and forth during our well-baby check-up. When I asked her what she was doing, she said that she was listening for a hip click. We didn’t hear anything. What does a hip click tell you?

The hip click she was referring to isn’t something you hear. It’s a sensation or something the examiner can feel. The test is one used with newborns and young infants to test for hip dislocation.

The click signals that the dislocated hip has slipped back into the socket. The test is most reliable during the first two months after birth. Other tests can be used after that.

All children should be screened at birth and again at regular intervals during the first year of life. Several studies have shown that children can be born with normal hips and develop hip dysplasia later. Dysplasia refers to a flat or shallow hip socket. Without a curved, cup-shaped socket, the head of the femur can slip out of the joint.

If there is any doubt about the results of the test, an X-ray or ultrasound study can be done. Don’t hesitate to ask your pediatrician to double-check the results of the test and to retest your child at your next well-baby checkup.