After watching her daughter face hours of surgery and invasive treatment, a South Holland mum has launched a petition to have scans for pregnant women carrying first-born girls.
Emily Cooke was born with developmental hip displasia which was diagnosed late, and left her needing major surgery.
If the condition is spotted in the womb via an ultrasound scan, it can be treated as soon as the baby is born and the intervention is much less invasive or painful.
Mum Amanda said neither she nor husband Arron had heard of the condition and knew nothing about it.
They took Emily to a GP when she developed a limp but were told it wasn’t an issue.
When it got worse they were referred to a consultant who straight away said it was displasia and it was confirmed with an X-ray.
As a result Emily (now 9) has undergone extensive surgery and faces more intervention to help her.
“If she had been scanned, this would have shown straight away and all this could have been avoided,” said her mum. “It seems to affect first-born girls and those born in a breech position. But Emily was not diagnosed until much later and by that time it meant a huge operation and wearing a full cast,” said Amanda.
Emily had a seven-and-a-half hour operation to reposition and reconstruct the joint in June 2021.
After three weeks there was another four-hour operation to change the position and then Emily had to wear a special cast to keep the joint stable.
The Spica cast meant the previously energetic and enthusiastic youngster was confined to a wheelchair while she recovered.
Prior to the diagnosis she was physically active and still enjoys acting and dancing at St John the Baptist School where her mum is a teacher.
Now a patient at Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge, her consultant hasn’t ruled out further surgery.
“Whatever happens, she has one leg 4.5cm shorter than the other and may well need a full hip replacement by the time she’s 30,” said her mum.
The petition is urging the government to fund the ultrasound screening of women carrying first-born girls, but ideally for every baby.
At least 10,000 signatures are needed for a government response and the link is: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/631719
“They already do this in some other countries, it should be about prevention and the cost to the NHS for major surgery is much more than a scan and the non-invasive treatment for this condition,” said Amanda.
