How to Cope With a Clubfoot

Clubfoot is a genetic condition that affects one in 1,000 babies. It is usually diagnosed immediately after birth. By taking deliberate steps, parents can help their child achieve relatively normal function of the foot and cope with any limitations.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Learn about the condition. The diagnosis then becomes less frightening, making it easier for you to cope. In clubfoot, the child's foot resembles a golf club. It points downward and inward at a right angle to the ankle.
2. Understand the consequences if you don't correct the condition. A child with clubfoot cannot plant the sole of the foot on the ground to walk. To cope, he walks on the outer edge and top surface of the foot. This causes an irregular gait and weak calf muscles.
3. Start with casting shortly after diagnosis. The doctor gently stretches the clubfoot into a normal position and applies a cast to secure it. The process continues for up to 4 months.
4. Follow up by splinting the clubfoot. The child wears a brace consisting of a horizontal aluminum bar connecting the right and left shoes. The child uses the brace continually for 3 months. Continue splinting for about 3 years for naps and at bedtime.
5. Assess the need for surgery if casting and splinting do not correct the clubfoot. The surgery relaxes tight tendons so the foot will assume a normal position.
6. Be realistic. Treatment of clubfoot does not always result in total correction. However, treatment usually improves the foot's appearance and function. There still may be pain. To cope, use arch supports and specialized footwear.

Tips & Warnings

• Swimming provides excellent exercise for children whose clubfoot is not completely corrected. The water supports their body weight, reducing stress on the joints of their feet.