How clubfoot treatment can make your child walk again

Its today’s stressful and fast moving life that is the reason for many new abnormalities that are found nowadays. Among newly surfacing abnormalities is one abnormality which clubfoot condition. It is a congenital orthopedic anomaly that can be relapsed regardless of the treatment that it has received, i.e., conservative treatment or operative treatment. It is a birth defect where the feet are either rotated inwards or downwards. As a result, children suffering from these disease are unable to walk at all, cannot even go to bathroom by themselves. Normally, this condition gets detected within one week of birth. The treatment to this condition begins soon after it is diagnosed where the treatments available range from pre-surgical to post-surgical as well.

Causes:

Researchers are unsure of the causes of clubfoot, though they strongly believe that it is related to the deficiency of amniotic fluid in womb which may increase the chances of this condition as amniotic fluid helps in development of lungs, overall muscles and digestive system. However, another reason could be smoking during pregnancy which increases the chance of child’s developing this condition. Also, children who have family history of the same are at high risk of developing this condition.

Symptoms:

It is the symptoms of clubfoot in diagnosis that decide further course of treatment that will be given to the patient. Doctors usually easily diagnose clubfoot by its appearance.  In some cases, they take help of ultrasound to diagnose and check its severity.

Baby’s calf muscle that remains underdeveloped, sometimes the feet is rotated inwards or downwards. Though clubfoot does not cause any pain but it is in best interest of patient that he receives treatment as soon as possible and not let disease progress to a point of no returns.

Treatment:        

It is not possible to avoid this birth defect, though its early treatment decides further prognosis of the condition. Although there is no definitive treatment of this condition, the treatment of this disease is mainly divided into two phases, conservative treatment and surgical treatment. With conservative treatment, there is Ponseti method, under which there are 5-8 weeks of muscle manipulations followed by casting of feet. In most cases, castings are removed within 5-7 days and repeated as necessary. The patient’s feet are placed in a foot abduction brace, a simple bar and shoe device. It keeps the feet in a proper place that prevents further deterioration.

During the surgical treatments of clubfoot, there are many surgeries that one may opt for.  It all depends upon the severity of the condition. An orthopedic surgeon may opt to lengthen tendons to better position the feet. Postoperative care includes casting for two to three months after which one has to wear brace for another to prevent recurrence of this condition again.

Senior Dr Amar Singh Chundawat at Narayan Seva Sansthan said, “It is required that child should get treatment after birth. Also, Parents should contact doctors for the condition without raising wrong concerns on the condition.”

According to Mr Prashant Agarwal, President of Narayan Seva Sansthan, “Even though clubfoot may not be correctable, but it is seen in most cases that the children who are treated early grow up to wear normal shoes and they lead to normal and active lives afterward.”