[Development hip dysplasia. Knowledge in pediatricians].

Introduction: The diagnosis of developmental hip dysplasia (DHD) is based on clinical evaluation of newborns. Early conservative orthopaedic management usually resolves the problem, but delay of proper recognition and treatment can cause poorer prognosis and severe consequences.

Objectives: To evaluate the paediatrician's theoretical knowledge level in DHD in the city of Tijuana, Mexico.

Material And Methods: A 13 item questionnaire about DHD was elaborated and applied to collegiate paediatricians in Tijuana, Mexico. The questions were assessed theoretical aspects of epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis and early management of DHD. The questionnaire was validated in a pilot study.

Results: The questionnaire was applied to 77 paediatricians. At least two thirds (67%) were working in official health institutions and more than a half (58%) were practicing paediatrics for 10 years or more. All of them concluded that early diagnosis in the newborns through rutinary clinical evaluation was very important. A mean of 6 correct answers was obtained (range 1 to 12). Only 17 paediatricians (22%) had satisfactory evaluation.

Conclusions: Evaluated paediatricians agree about the importance of early diagnosis of DHD in the newborns rutine clinical evaluation, but there was a significant lack of theoretical knowledge about this condition. College boards need to evaluate and reinforce the minimal appropriate knowledge level of paediatricians in assessing the early recognition and management of DHD.