Congenital knee dislocation: A great source of maternal anxiety

Abstract

The communication of a congenital anomaly diagnosis can lead mothers experience anxiety, stress, fear or even mourning, especially if a congenital malformation is diagnosed in the postnatal period. We herein present a case of a bilateral knee dislocation in a female neonate and its impact to maternal anxiety. The baby was born by an assisted vaginal delivery and deformity of both knees was noted at birth. Neonatal examination did not reveal any other pathologic findings. Pregnancy was uneventful and prenatal ultrasound scans and screening tests were all normal. Upon hearing the news, the mother felt depressed and frightened for her newborn’s health and the care providers reassured and encouraged her. Conservative treatment was recommended by a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Two months later, the newborn stays under close follow-up and the mother feels calm and optimistic, regarding child’s clinical course. According to our case, the communication of a congenital anomaly diagnosis immediately after childbirth, had an impact on mother’s emotions. Therefore, proper intervention by health professionals should be implemented, in order to encourage parents to manage extreme emotional reactions and adapt better to the diagnosis of a congenital malformation.

Keywords

• Congenital malformation
• knee dislocation
• postnatal diagnosis
• maternal anxiety
• depression