Pavlik harness — daily care sheet
Baby's name: ________________________ · Clinic: ________________________ · Next review: ____________
- 1
Confirm the prescribed wearing schedule
Write your clinician's exact instruction at the top of the sheet — usually 23–24 hours a day at the start. Do not reduce hours on your own, even if your baby seems settled.
- 2
Check the straps daily
The chest strap should sit at nipple level with two fingers of space. Shoulder straps should not dig in. Mark the strap positions with a pen so you can see if anything has slipped.
- 3
Keep the hips flexed and abducted
Knees should sit higher than the hips, legs comfortably apart. The harness must never force the legs straight or squeeze them together.
- 4
Inspect the skin at every nappy change
Look behind the knees, in the groin creases, on the shoulders and around the ankles. Redness that fades in a few minutes is normal; redness that stays, breaks, or weeps is not.
- 5
Wash your baby without removing the harness
Unless your clinician has approved removal, sponge-wash one area at a time. Slide a clean cloth under the straps rather than unfastening them.
- 6
Dress over the harness, not under the straps
Use a thin vest under the harness and loose clothing over it. Knee-high socks protect the ankles from the stirrups.
- 7
Call the clinic the same day if
Your baby stops kicking one leg, cries whenever the leg is moved, the skin is broken, the harness has slipped and you cannot restore it, or your baby has a fever with a red patch under a strap.