A Mom’s Introduction to Clubfoot

He has what, now?

The words seemed to hang in the air around me as the doctor continued his assessment. I was as stunned by his announcement as I was by the casual way he said it: “Your baby will probably have two clubbed feet.” He went on to point out the standard 20-week ultrasound checks: the healthy heart, the working lungs, the fact that we were having a boy; but my mind could not move on past that phrase.

Clubbed feet?? Was that still a thing? In 21st Century America??

I didn’t know anybody that had dealt with that (I assumed). What had I done wrong? He wasn’t even born yet, and I’d already failed my baby, despite trying to do everything right? Bad News was hopping on the Hormone Express and going for a ride through Crazy Town.

Of course, I hadn’t failed. What I didn’t know at the time was that it’s entirely possible to do everything right, have no medical history, and still have children born with clubbed feet. It’s not uncommon, and thank God, it’s very treatable.

My coping mechanism, when faced with a panic-inducing crisis, is to research and make a plan (after the occasional brief self-pity session), so the first thing I did when we got home from the ultrasound appointment was to hop onto Google.

Most of the information I found was pretty basic. It’s called Talipes Equinovarus, in which the tendons are too short and tight, causing the foot to pull inward and upward, affecting one or both feet. It affects about 1 in 1,000 children. Treatment involves casting shortly after birth. There might be surgeries. But there were still so many questions unanswered. Where do I find a doctor? When can I talk to him? Will this be painful?  Is my baby going to suffer? Will he be able to walk and run and play with other kids?

Your tribe will guide you

Thankfully I eventually found a Facebook support group for parents of clubbed foot cuties, a move I recommend to every parent, with or without special needs (but especially WITH). 

I was able to lean into other parents’ experience and learn not only about the treatment — the casts and the boots and bar — but tips and tricks, like keep casts clean by covering them with cute leg warmers; what socks were best for the boots; and what clothes and usual baby items were helpful, and which were unusable during the cast or boots stage.

For example, footy pajamas cannot be worn without being cut up to allow the casts or the boots to fit in the legs, which basically renders them non-footy, so there’s no point. The day my son got his first casts, my husband’s work threw us a baby shower, and one of the gifts was a bag full of nearly a dozen footies. I almost cried when I saw them, knowing we wouldn’t get to use them.

Happy World Club Foot Day!

The group also taught me about World Club Foot Day. It is held on June 3rd each year to celebrate the birthday of Ignacio Ponseti, the man who pioneered the Ponseti Method of treatment in the 1950s by correcting the foot using plaster casts and special shoes for maintenance.

Even though it was cheaper and had a higher success rate than the standard surgeries, it wasn’t until the year 2000 when word began to spread across internet chat rooms full of club foot moms demanding better treatment options for their children (never underestimate the power of moms on the internet) that it had a resurgence, and the Ponseti Method became the standard of care.

Without ever meeting my son, this man impacted his life with amazing creativity and resourcefulness. He also gave comfort and hope to a very worried pregnant mama that her little baby would one day walk and run just like the other kids.

Spoiler alert: he does!

Previous articleEverything You Need To Know About Water Safety
Next articlePreparing for the Worst When You Have Children
kelliekirkpatrick
I grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, where I graduated high school in '95. After moving out of state to Louisiana and later working as a court reporter in Virginia, I moved back in '13. I met and eventually married my husband in '14, and on our one year anniversary discovered I was pregnant with our delightful, crazy adventure of a little boy. Phineas was born July 3rd of '16, perfect in nearly every way except being born with clubbed feet. The journey to get that corrected has been stressful sometimes, but parenting this boy has been the greatest joy I have ever experienced. I can't wait to see what the future holds for our family. 

1 COMMENT

  1. Greetings from another club-foot mama! Our journey was crazy, but at 8yo, Ponsetti Method and 3 surgeries later my boy can run, ride, jump, and climb with the best of them. I loved your article and it mirrored my reactions exactly. Thank you for sharing!
    Allison

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here