As a general physician, I’ve had my fair share of being pulled into postnatal case discussions with our peadiatric unit. And nothing makes you sound more exam-ready in front of Dr. Bilal Chaudhary (our peads guru) than casually dropping:
“Sounds like DDH. You know it’s more common with the 7 Fs, right?” 😎
Yes, Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip, formerly known as congenital dislocation of the hip, may sound like a strictly orthopedic affair (paging Dr. Faisal Afridi 👨⚕️), but the associations are textbook classic—and all start with the letter F. Perfect for your viva… or your next ward round mic drop.
📌 Mnemonic: All Fs – The “7 Fs” of DDH
| F Number | Association |
|---|---|
| F1 | Fetal factors – e.g. oligohydramnios, multiple gestation |
| F2 | First born – uterine space gets tighter |
| F3 | Female – up to 4–6x more common |
| F4 | Family history – strong genetic component |
| F5 | Floppy – hypotonia (e.g. Down syndrome, neuromuscular disorders) |
| F6 | Feet first – breech position increases mechanical stress |
| F7 | Foot deformities – such as clubfoot or metatarsus adductus |
👶 Real Case from Quetta
We had a full-term baby from Buleda, born breech, female, and notably hypotonic. Dr. Bilal Chaudhary examined the baby and called me over. “Feel that clunk on the Barlow test?” he said, raising an eyebrow.
It was a textbook case—Female, Feet-first, Floppy, and Firstborn too. I remember Dr. Behroz Rahim (our Psychiatrist, ever the philosopher) quipping, “You see? Life really does throw everything at you when you’re the first child.” 😄
Ortho confirmed it was DDH. With early Pavlik harness treatment, the child is now on track for a normal gait — and hopefully, a much smoother start than her joints allowed.
