In need of support, new baby has clubbed foot

julia lipman

Tue, Aug 31 2010, 1:05 pm

My new little one,now one month has clubbed foot. we've been going to a pediatric orthopaedist who is very nice, but he gives no reassurance, or input into how things are going. I just want to know that things are going well. It feels lilke we'll be getting casts foreever. I wish he couild tell us if he was reacting well or not...
is this typical of doctors?

life'sgreat

Tue, Aug 31 2010, 1:14 pm

I hope someone will know more information about this, but there was an article in (I think) the Mishpacha (or maybe Binah) from a woman that had this issue with her child and went through the gamut of treatments until she found one method that works for long term and is better than any other method. I don't remember much more about this, but I hope someone else will chime in with the right information/contacts.

May Hashem send the right shaliach in helping your child. Hug

merelyme

Tue, Aug 31 2010, 1:23 pm

The article was in Binah.
OP, please try to get a copy of the article - maybe by e-mailing the Binah office for it? As I recall, the author tried the standard treatment which doesn't have a great success rate, and then found another treatment that's way better with a very high success rate.

And yes, that kind of non-information is often the case with doctors, but you should be getting the information that you need. Ask him to explain it to you!

Much hatzlacha and nachas!

chasidisteh

Tue, Aug 31 2010, 1:25 pm

My daughter had club feet. First of all do not worry, she is now 4 years old and you would never know she had a problem. I'll take you through what we did for her. We took her at 6 days old to the doctors. Where they casted both her feet and legs, we casted her every week for about 2 months. At 2 months we put her in braces.. the brace looks like two old fashioned shoes with a metal bar attached. I only took off the brace to bathe her. Then after a yr. we kept the brace on only at night until she was 2.
My daughter now runs, plays and B"H you would never know. Thank G-D it is a physical problem that can be easily fixed. My daughters feet were completely bent inwards it was a terrible case. If you need any information please feel free to PM me.

farm

Tue, Aug 31 2010, 3:29 pm

Sounds like you may need to try a different doctor with better communication skills. Are you willing to travel? I would highly recommend Dr. Russel Crider. He is in Manhasset, affiliated with Schneider Children's Hospital at LIJ. He was upfront the entire time, kept us informed at each step and always shared with us what the next steps would be at each point of the treatment, depending on how the current treatment was working. B"H I (almost) don't even remember which foot it was. I was also in touch with someone who was using a pediatric orthopedist at NYU, and she was very satisfied as well.

the world's best mom

Wed, Sep 01 2010, 2:49 pm

Just noticed this thread.

OP, you must make sure that your orthopedist uses the Ponsetti method. In NY, DR. Joshua Hyman and Dr. Wallace B. Lehman and Dr. David Feldman are the best Ponsetti doctors, as far as I know. Using the Ponsetti method, only 2% of kids need surgery, as opposed to 40% using the old method.

DD had clubfeet. She is now 4 and had casts again before the summer to correct a relapse.

After casting is finished, your baby should be given a bar to wear. PUT THE BAR ON EVERY DAY. The babies cry for the first few days of the bar- they scream and yell- but then they get used to it. It really is the only way to keep feet from having a relapse. My daughter had hers when the bar broke and the new part they ordered got lost in the mail. By the time we got the new part, it was too late.

The casting stage is not easy. The first week in the bar is even harder. Then everything begins to fall into place. Dd is a happy, healthy child who can walk, run, jump and climb just like all other kids her age. Good luck.

julia lipman

Thu, Sep 02 2010, 7:34 am

THank you all so much. Our dr. is using the posetti method, and he finally gave us someanswers to how its going. B'H he seems to be doing well in the casts and we should get a better time estimate in a few weeks. Its so stressfull runing back and forth to the doctor... you bring me hope that it won't last.

amother

Sun, Sep 05 2010, 12:34 am

chasidisteh wrote:

I was born with clubbed feet. The above sounds similar to what treatment was used for me (I don't know the exact details really) After treatment as a baby everything was fine and I would never have known if I wouldn't have been told.

JollyMommy

Sun, Sep 05 2010, 12:47 am

my little brother was born with this. he had casts for a year that didn't help, then 2 surgeries which totally corrected it. I think it depends on the case. see a few specialists to come to a conclusion on treatment. this is FIXABLE. my brother is totally fine, runs, rollerblades and is married. lots of hatzlacha!