Katrin Ritter

What exactly is hip dysplasia? As the name suggests, it’s a deformation or a misalignment of the hip joint. The cup-like-formed acetabulum of the pelvis (also called the hip socket) and the round femoral head facilitate the movement of the legs. Both are covered with cartilage and a layer of fluid, which ensure a frictionless movement of the joint. The formation of the joint begins in the third month of pregnancy, yet it will not fully develop until the end of the pregnancy. By the time of birth, the newborn’s pelvis is almost entirely made out of cartilage. The ossification begins shortly after birth. The hip joint is reinforced by ligaments and the joint capsule. Muscles enable movement as well as supporting the hip joint. The German term for hip dysplasia was first used in 1936 to refer to a delayed growth of the ossification of the hip socket. The generic term of “infantile dislocation of the hip joint” was created by Dr. Ewald Fettweis. It is one of the most common

Midwifery in Germany differs in many details from the situation as it is in the United States. Sure, on both sides of the ocean mothers and fathers wish nothing but the best for the newborn life, but the way to achieve this may be somewhat different. This article focuses on midwife education in Germany pointing out the importance of freelancers in this area. Midwifery in Germany is a health care profession which takes care of women in pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum. There are circa 18,000 midwives in Germany who have passed their exam at one of the total of 58 schools of midwifery existing here. As for the foreign midwives from all over the world that wish to work in Germany, they may have to visit one of the German schools of midwifery so as to improve their theoretical knowledge and gain further practical experience. The training there consists of about 1,600 hours in theory and circa 3,000 hours in practice. In order to provide a deep insight into the variety of obstetrics,