Baby with club feet

[Misfit]

Not really sure where this thread would fit, but here goes.

My son was born on July 1st with club feet. I should mention the he was breech the whole pregnancy, and it was a footling breech. I had to have a c-section to get him out.

When I finally saw him in the nursery (7 hours later when the epidural wore off) I almost started crying seeing his feet. The arches of his feet (sides of feet) were touching his legs above the ankles. Luckily someone who specializes in this came in the next day and casted his feet to start the correction. 2 months later he had to have his Achilles tendon lengthened last week.

Are there any parents out there with children born with club feet?

[mommy2boftwins]

I have twins b/g and my boy was born with a club foot. Just the left one. They were transpositional (diaganol) and my boy had his feet in my girls face the whole time. We had several ultrasounds and each time it was the same although the ultrasound never showed the club foot. Anyways, they were born 11 weeks early (health issues with me) and stayed in the NICU for 9 weeks. I went to the ortho dr two weeks after my babies came home and they casted him then. He had to be casted 7 times and then got his brace and "shoes". He has done amazingly well. I think the younger they are, the more adaptable. We were lucky, he didn't have to have the Achilles tendon cut.
We also discovered he has a tethered spinal cord. We go to a neourosurgeon in 2 weeks. I may post a thread on this and see if anyone else has had this with their child.

Here is a websit to go look at. This is the kind of bar that I picked for my son. It allows him to have much more movement. He can move his legs independantly rather that together. Also, you get to pick a design for the "shoes". When you see the site you will understand. You may have to copy and paste this link into your web browser. Good luck and let me know how he does.

slch.org/tabid/285/itemid/5089/Dobbs-Dynamic-Clubfoot-Bar.aspx

I would post a pic of my son, but can't figure out how to make it small enough. If you want to give me your email, I can send you a pic.

[Misfit]

Well, sorry for the late reply lol.

His las appt the dr said that he was close to being out of braces. I was happy to hear that. My son just needs to figure out to stretch out his tendons by himself, and I just have to keep stretching his feet out. It's hard when he's just growing and growing. At 3 months he must weigh 20 pounds, but he's not overly chubby looking.

I think he had more than 7 castings.

My e-mail is misfit_rocker423@yahoo.com

I can send you a pic of my son as well if you like. Granted it would be from my cell phone.

[Momiof4]

Hello there..

I'm 35 weeks pregnant and my son has bilaterial club feet. I've had three sonograms done and so far nothing has changed. I found out today that my baby is not growing properly. He weighs 4 lbs and 12 oz. I have to go back in three weeks to have another sonogram done. The doctor want to see if he is developing properly. I am so stressed and upset at this whole situation. I have three girls and none of them had any health issues. Granted, I was young when I had them. I am 35 years old now. I've been researching clubbed feet and the more I read the more scared I get. I am afraid that my son might have other issues that I won't find out about until after he is born.

No one in my family or my husband family has any genetic disorder. I can't help but blame myself for what is happening. Did you ladies feel the same way I did?

[mommy2boftwins]

Hi Momiof4
First let me say do not blame yourself. Please take that stressor out of your life. Your son's club feet has nothing to do with anything you did/didn't do during your pregnancy.
2nd, I had twins b/g and my boy showed that he too was not growing properly. He weighed 10% less than his sister. That has nothing to do with you either. Sometimes these things just happen regardless. They only discovered my boy's slow growth because I developed eclampsia and toximia and they did and ultrasound the day before I delivered in the hosptial. We didn't know about his foot until he was born, that never showed on any of the ultrasounds and I had a lot during my pregnancy. I too am an older mom, I was 40 when I got pregnant.
Here are a couple of websites that you should visit. They have a lot of good info on club feet and the proper treatments. Remember, DON'T let anyone do surgery on your baby's feet. That is the old method and will result in loss of mobility.

http://www.stlouischildrens.org/tabi...or-Club-F.aspx

http://www.stlouischildrens.org/Desk...089&PortalId=0

This 2nd website will tell you about the Dobbs bar brace. This is what I chose for my son and have had very good results.

Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns
michaelkirkland@bellsouth.net

I can also give you some websites for support groups as well. If you are interested I can also email you pics of my son before/after. He is now 6 months old.

[Misfit]

Momiof4,

I didn't know my son had club feet till after he was born. Even then I couldn't see him because it took 7 hours for the epidural to wear off. I almost cried seeing his feet like that. I don't blame myself at all. I had a very stubborn baby who decided that in the womb, he was going to be breach, and not move from that position one bit. The reason that I think he was born with club feet was because he was sitting in my pelvis, and his feet ended up that way.

[soxtpa]

I just found out yesterday that my baby will be born with a club foot. I have read a lot about the Ponseti method. Does anyone know where in South Florida I can find a good doctor that I can get in contact with. I am only 31 and this is my first pregnancy so needless to say I am trying not to get overly freaked out.

[mommy2boftwins]

I would suggest that you contact the pediatrician that you have chosen for your baby and ask him/her to recomment to you a pediatric orthopedic doctor who specializes in treating club feet. If they don't know of one, contact the closest major children's hospital to you and ask them for a referral. My Dr is in with our local children's hopital and was trained in the ponseti method. Please don't freak out over this. You will be amazed at how fast the foot responds and how your baby will adjust.

[minalij11]

http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/m...hysicians.html

You can refer to Ponseti's website for Dr in your area. I found my Dr in NY through this site. You can also mail Dr Ponseti and he will reply to all your conserns. Though the reply may be delayed but you will get a response. Here are his contact details. Good luck!
Telephone:

(319)356-3469

Address:

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
200 Hawkins Drive
010255 JPP
Iowa City, IA 52242

Via E-mail:

ignacio-ponseti@uiowa.edu

[Aurorianne]

my little guy was born with bilateral as well. hes had to have the tenotomy done and he is getting dennis brown boots fitted tomorrow. there was a good possibility mine would be born with Clubbed feet. his ultrasounds spoke volumes. we could never see his feet. im just glad he has them :P. we used ponseti method as well but my sons doctor kept leaving town for weeks on end and it ended up taking 13 sets of casts(#13 post tenotomy) and hes just shy of four months. dont stress. doesnt matter how old you are. im only 25. its not a huge deal. i think i spoil him because of his condition. and they are pretty resiliant at that age. so dont stress.