Screening newborns for developmental dysplasia of the hip: the role of sonography.

Early diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip in newborns is essential if treatment is to be successful. Screening of newborns is appropriate because developmental dysplasia of the hip has a high prevalence [1] and significant morbidity [2, 3] and is treatable [4]. Screening by clinical examination alone has shortcomings [5], and the use of sonography for screening has been proposed [6]. The purpose of this article is to analyze the use of sonography in this regard.