CLUBFOOT: A REPARATIVE BIRTH DEFECT

WHAT IS CLUBFOOT?

Clubfoot, also called talipes equinovarus, is a birth defect of the foot. If your baby has clubfoot, one foot or both feet point down and turn in. This happens because the tissues that connect muscles to bone (called tendons) in your baby’s leg and foot are shorter than usual. This pulls the foot into an abnormal position. Babies with clubfoot also may have abnormal foot bones, ankle joints and muscles.

WHAT CAUSES CLUBFOOT?

We don’t know what causes clubfoot, and there’s no way to prevent it. But some things may make a baby more likely than others to have the condition, including:

• Boys are twice as likely as girls to have clubfoot.
• Your baby has another birth defect, like cerebral palsy or spina bifida.
• You have clubfoot in your family health history.
• You have oligohydramnios during pregnancy. This is when you don’t have enough amniotic fluid. This is the fluid that surrounds your baby in the womb.
• You have an infection or use drugs or smoke during pregnancy.

HOW IS CLUBFOOT TREATED?

An orthopaedic surgeon can help you understand the best treatment for your baby. Clubfoot treatment may include:

• Stretching and Casting: Also called the Ponseti method, this is the most common treatment for clubfoot. It usually starts in the first 2 weeks of your baby’s life. For this treatment, your baby’s provider stretches your baby’s foot toward the correct position and then puts it in a cast. The cast goes from your baby’s toes to his upper thigh. Every 4 to 7 days, your baby’s provider takes off the cast, moves your baby’s foot closer to the correct position and puts on a new cast. Before your baby gets his last cast, his provider may cut the heel cord. This is the tendon that connects the heel to muscles in your baby’s calf. This allows the heel cord to grow to a normal length by the time the last cast comes off. This type of treatment usually fixes the problem in 2 to 3 months. After that, your baby can do stretching exercises to help keep his feet in the right position. He also may need to wear special shoes or a brace at night for a few years.
• Stretching, Taping and Splinting: Also called the French method, with this treatment, your baby’s provider stretches your baby’s foot toward the correct position and uses tape and splints to hold it that way. This treatment usually starts soon after birth and is done every day for 2 months and then less often until your baby is 6 months old. After this, you can use stretching exercises and night splints to help keep your baby’s feet in the right position until she starts to walk.
• Surgery: If your baby’s clubfoot is severe or if stretching treatments don’t work, clubfoot can be treated with surgery. It’s best to have surgery before your baby starts walking. Surgery can help make the heel cord longer and fix other problems with the feet. After surgery, your baby may be in a cast for 6 to 8 weeks.

WHY KIMS?

At KIMS, one of the best club foot treatment hospitals in Hyderabad, is devoted to the treatment and research of clubfoot, a condition that causes the feet to turn downward and inward.

From the moment of diagnosis, our team of paediatric orthopaedic doctors provides education and support to your family and ensures that your child receives immediate and effective care, including surgery if necessary, as we are one of the best paediatric orthopaedic surgery hospitals in Hyderabad. We are also one of the best paediatric orthopaedic surgery hospitals in Hi-Tech City.