Hip dysplasia: Caring for your child in a body (spica) cast
Introduction
Spica casts, also called body casts, are frequently used to treat children who have hip, pelvis, or leg problems, such as developmental dysplasia of the hips (DDH). You may be nervous about having a child in a spica cast. It can be confusing and overwhelming to be responsible for the care and cleaning of the cast. But caring for a spica cast is not as hard as it may at first seem. After you get into a routine, you'll find that you can handle the daily tasks involved in cast care. You will become more and more confident that you can keep your child safe and comfortable while he or she is in the cast.
You can help care for your child's spica cast by:
- Learning basic cast-cleaning techniques.
- Learning how to manage daily care issues, such as changing a diaper.
- Gaining confidence in handling your child and knowing how to identify problems that can develop.
What is a spica cast?
Why do I need to care for my child's spica cast?
How do I care for my child's spica cast?
Where to go from here
Return to topic:
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH | Last Updated: May 11, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Thomas S. Renshaw, MD - Orthopedics | |
 | ||
| |