Club Foot

Our daughter is 15 weeks and was in casts for six of those. We've just come back from the ortho surgeon, who said her feet looked perfect. But as a precaution she needs to wear the boots with the bar because they may start to revert back. But 23 hours a day seems so extreme for feet he said look perfect. She has had them on for only a day and I find it difficult. Just changing her diaper has become a huge ordeal. Do I manuver around the bar or unscrew one shoe? Does anyone think I should get a second opinion?

Any info would be greatly appreciated
Thank you
Cindy

Hi Cindy-

It sounds as if your daughter's clubfoot has been corrected by the Ponsetti Method. If so then yes you need to have her wear the shoes and bar for 23hrs a day for 3 months or her foot will regress. After the 3 months she'll go down to 16-18 hours a day, then it will be reduced again when she is walking to about 12-14hrs a day. It is like having braces and then not wearing a retainer, the feet will revert to the club position. I actually found the bar very hepful when changing a diaper, especially the poopie ones. You just lift the bar and wipe. You don't have to worry about their feet getting in it:)

Heather

Hi Cindy!

It does sound like your daughter's clubfoot was corrected using the Ponseti method and as the other poster said, it is essential that she wear the brace for the prescribed times.  Clubfoot is a deformity that remains active for a number of years after birth.  Without the bracing, it will relapse.

My daughter was corrected with the Ponseti method, but our doctor was not so strict about the bracing and had us discontinue using the brace at 1.5 years old.  My daughter suffered a relapse and had to have casts again at 2.5 years old.  Believe me, if you think dealing with the brace on an infant is hard, try dealing with casts on a 2.5 year old!!  Fortunately, Dr. Ponesti (we went to Iowa after the relapse) was able to regain correction without surgery, but she lost some of her flexibility that she will never get back.  A relapse in an infant can easily be recorrected with casting, but the older they get, the harder it is to recorrect with just casts.  As they grow, they lose collagen in the tendons and they become more difficult to manipulate and correct.

It's wonderful that her foot was corrected so easily and looks so good now, but let me just reiterate that without the proper bracing, she will relapse.  Especially this young and so close to having been corrected.

Please don't make the mistakes that I did!  I know it seems difficult to maneuver around the bar in daily life, but full time wear is only for three months and then the hours gradually are reduced.  Before you know it she will only be wearing the brace during sleeping hours.  I know it seems like a long time, but it does get easier.

Good luck!!

 

 

Thomas is the same way.  His foot looked PERFECT after his cast was taken off and the Dr didn't see a cause for further treatment(had only two casts) so Off we went and his foot regressed.  So I took him back in he had to be recasted and his shoes were ordered.  He has been in his shoes for a month and a half and no regresion.  I for one think that 23hrs is a little much so Thomas only stayed in his 18-20hrs a day.  But every childs case is different.  Thomas only has positional club foot.  Anyway yes change the diaper through the bar and I have found that footed p.js work well with the DBB shoes because they act as socks and keep the foot in better.