What if my Child has Clubfoot?

Many people have heard the term clubfoot before, but often times it is attributed to third world countries. Clubfoot is a condition that is still prevalent in the United States, but we often don’t see people with it because it is usually treated during infancy. It is a condition that can be very disconcerting for parents, but it is a condition that can be treated. Clubfoot is a condition where your foot is rolled to the outside and your toes are turned in towards the middle of your body.  

Clubfoot can be treated through a series of casting. It is important to start the treatment immediately while the child’s joints can still be corrected. When your child is born, their bones are still being formed and they are cartilage. Cartilage can be readily adjusted but as it becomes bone it is not as easily adjusted. This is why it is important to get the process started right away. The process requires a number of castings that will need to be changed anywhere from daily to once a week depending on the severity. In between the castings, your child’s foot will be manipulated into the correct position. This process will be continued until the foot is corrected or it is decided that you need to operate. X-rays will be taken of your child’s foot to verify whether or not your child’s clubfoot has been corrected.

There are instances when casting does not work to correct clubfoot and surgery needs to be performed. This can be due to the child being too old to where there foot cannot be corrected by casting or the casting just does not work to fully correct all of the components of your child’s clubfoot. In this case, surgery is recommended to give your child the best correction possible.  After casting or surgery is completed, your child will be placed in a special orthotic to maintain the position of their foot for a year.

If you live in the Newburyport, North Andover, Lowell, Methuen or Bradford Massachusetts area and you have a child with clubfoot our staff would be more than happy to help you and your child receive the care your child needs for correcting their club foot.