Club Foot? | Imamother

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Forum -> Children's Health

Club Foot?

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amother

Sun, Oct 28 2007, 8:46 pm

My infant was born with one foot facing in, and a bit smaller than the other one. The pediatrician said it's not exactly a full-fledged case of club foot, it just looks like it was jammed inside the uterus in a way that it just grew crooked. I'm taking the baby to an orthopedist tomorrow and I'm expecting him to recommended a cast and physical therapy. Does anyone have experience dealing with this? What kind of treatment did you do? How long did it last? Did your child end up with a limp or any kind of disability as a result of this birth defect?
I'm posting as amother to protect my child's privacy.

amother

Sun, Oct 28 2007, 8:50 pm

I had this as a baby- I had the whole deal- first casts, then surgery, then casts up to my thighs ........then the backwards shoes- with bars , then without bars........im totally fine now......my feet are maybe a tiny drop turned in, but no big deal

NotInNJMommy

Sun, Oct 28 2007, 10:10 pm

BH My son didn't actually have this problem, but his feet were so swollen when he was born that the neonatologist wasn't sure, so we were preparing for a couple days for "what if this is true?"

We found 2 things:1. they are able to really solve these problems so much by catching something like this right away

2. there are professional athletes who were born with a club foot (I've read that Kristi Yamaguchi--olympic figure skater was born with this) and have obviously physically done quite well, BH.

Your baby should have a refuah shleimah!

amother

Mon, Oct 29 2007, 2:05 am

I have a nephew who has an infant also had a case of not full-fledged club foot. They said the key was working with it early. They put on his legs something that looked like handcuffs that wouldnt budge. It helped the foot face the right way and didnt bother him at that age bc he didnt move his legs so much. It was off and over by the time he was of age to be mobile. He is totally fine now (at 2 yrs). Perhaps he is a drop clumsy in his walk but I think it's more his personality than a result of club foot. Just work work work while he is little on the problem. It really will pay off.

amother

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 10:26 am

OP here - If you have a child born with club foot, PLEASE make sure to contact an orthopedist (or podiatrist) who specializes in the "Ponseti" method. It's highly effective, non invasive and has an extremely high success rate over many years. A regular doctor who is not trained in this method will want to do surgery which is proven to cause pain years later when the child grows to be in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.

I did my research, and B"H switched away from the local orthopedist who does not do the Ponseti method. I am going to be taking my baby to a doctor 2.5 hours away for his treatment. It may be a shlep and an inconvenience, but from the research I did, I feel like I have no choice.

The Ponseti method does a special type of casting on the leg with club foot for 4-8 weeks, and then a minor, localized anesthesia procedure to loosen the tendon in the heel. Then another cast for 3 weeks, a special pair of shoes with a bar in the middle to keep the feet in place for 3 months, and then the child has to wear those shoes only at night for 2-3 years. B"H this method works wonders, it's worth every minute of the treatment because the baby will end up with perfectly normal, healthy feet.

Nobody else on this entire forum has a child with club foot? I'm a bit surprised because it seems to be pretty common.

TzenaRena

Sat, Nov 10 2007, 10:12 pm

What exactly is club foot? My son toed in for a long time, much longer than our doctor said he would. A different doctor wanted to cast it and our family doctor said not to. Does it have anything to do with that?

amother

Sun, Nov 11 2007, 3:00 pm

A case of clubfoot is one when the entire foot is facing the wrong direction, either to the left, right or up towards the groin. If not treated, the foot will remain where it is and the child will look like he's walking on his ankles (if he can walk at all). Older children with twisted feet can be found in 3rd world counties because they are not treated as babies. No one knows why some babies are born with club foot, some say it's genetic, some say it's the way it was positioned in the womb... My husband and I both come from very large extended families and do not have any club feet in the family, so you never know...

A strong case of toeing in might be a very light case of club foot, but if your child is fine now then there's nothing to worry about. A lot of people toe in a little, and it's not a big deal, it won't handicap them like club foot.

njmomof4

Wed, Aug 05 2015, 11:36 am

I know this is an old post, but my baby was just born with bilateral clubfeet. I am looking into the "Ponseti method" and would like more info.

Thanks!

rosebunch

Wed, Aug 05 2015, 11:52 am

I know there is a newly opened gemach for shoes in boro park. You should look into it. Both foundrrs of the gemach had babies born with clubfeet. They may have useful info for you.
Hatzlacha

the world's best mom

Wed, Aug 05 2015, 11:52 am

My dd who is 9 years old was born with bilateral clubfeet. The Ponseti method is the way to go. I don't know where you live, but I can give you recommendations for the best doctors. You want to make sure to use only the best, because some doctors can make the situation worse.

And I know it's hard to believe when your baby's feet are still uncorrected, but my dd was in gymnastics last year. She loves jumping rope and can do the pogo stick for over 5 minutes at a shot. She is more athletic than my other kids.

Unless the kid has something else wrong also, it is realistic to assume that your child will be walking and running without any problem, although perhaps a bit later than most kids his age.

njmomof4

Wed, Aug 05 2015, 12:06 pm

rosebunch wrote:

I know there is a newly opened gemach for shoes in boro park. You should look into it. Both foundrrs of the gemach had babies born with clubfeet. They may have useful info for you.
Hatzlacha

Thanks! Do you have info on the Gemachs?

njmomof4

Wed, Aug 05 2015, 12:07 pm

the world's best mom wrote:

Thanks! Can I msg you?

the world's best mom

Wed, Aug 05 2015, 12:11 pm

njmomof3 wrote:

Thanks! Can I msg you?

Sure!

NTR150153

Tue, Aug 23 2016, 7:09 pm

My son has severe intoeing/suspected mild club feet. Any recommendation for a pediatric orthopedist in NY area. Brooklyn or Manhatten

njmomof4

Tue, Aug 23 2016, 7:51 pm

I highly recommend Dr Scher in Hospital for Special Surgery! My son had a severe case of bilateral clubfoot. He's 12.5 months old now and he's doing great bh! Feel free to message me with any questions.

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