On November 25, 2025, the Chunichi Shimbun and Tokyo Shimbun featured an article on the initiative led by Associate Professor Kyoko Yoshioka-Maeda and her research team, which promotes the early detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip and related conditions in newborns and infants through ultrasound screening conducted by public health nurses. DDH, a condition in which the hip socket is shallow or the femoral head is displaced, is often difficult to identify through physical examination alone and may lead to gait impairment or hip osteoarthritis later in life.
To address this gap, public health nurses in Aichi and Okinawa Prefectures have begun performing ultrasound hip screening during newborn and infant home visits as well as child health consultations. Pediatric orthopedic surgeons remotely review the images, enabling earlier detection even in areas with limited medical resources. Incorporating ultrasound imaging into community health services enhances the timely identification of DDH. This nurse-led model has the potential to support healthy hip development.
