Clothing donation for babies with hip issues to make a huge difference

Parents Abi and Matt Skinner, from Thurrock have donated two hundred and twenty-one items of specialist baby clothing to the Paediatric orthopaedics physiotherapy department at Basildon Hospital.

The clothes will benefit babies undergoing treatment for Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), a condition where the “ball and socket” joint of the hip does not properly form. Treatment involves the 24-hour use of a Pavlik harness which secures hips in a stable, open position and allows the hips to develop as they should for a minimum of six weeks.

When their baby Albie (now 4 months) was diagnosed with DDH the clothes gifted and purchased in anticipation of his arrival could no longer be worn. The need for a harness to treat his hips meant that standard baby clothes would no longer fit with the position his harness placed his legs into.

Abi said “Receiving the news that Albie needed to be fitted with a harness was a difficult day, but the support from the team made it a little easier. When we found out Albie would need specialist clothing it was a shock. The brand-new sleepsuits we were given by the team at the hospital made me feel a lot better that I was able to dress my son.

“I will be forever grateful for the help and support the team provided so when I noticed that the clothing supply, they had was a bit sparse, I knew I had to do something.”

And so, Abi and Matt set out to raise funds to provide the department with more clothing. In total they raised a fantastic £1,050 which they donated on Albie’s last appointment when his harness was removed.

Alice Farrell, MSK and Orthopaedic Paediatric Physiotherapy Lead at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust said “The success rate of using the harness worn by Albie is incredibly high. Despite this, the diagnosis of DDH is hard on parents to begin with. Being able to send parents home with an item or two of clothing until they can purchase new makes a real difference.

“Abi and Matt’s generous fundraising is appreciated so much by our team and will improve the entire family experience for many.”