My pediatrician is sending us to a specialist.... evidently DH was "pigeon-toed" when he was little, and our sweetie is showing signs of the same problem. I'm not worried - but curious to hear what others' experiences may be.
Okiemunchkinsmom
12-12-2006, 08:55 PM
My 5yr old was born with a club foot. He had heel cord surgery, and he still wears AFO's. If your son is just now showing signs of it, and wasn't born with it chances are good that with a shoe insert or AFO's and some exercises all will be good :hugs:
Okiemunchkinsmom
12-12-2006, 08:57 PM
Ack, sorry, I just realized your sweety is a she, not a he :blush: Hannah is a very pretty name :)
urchin_grey
12-12-2006, 10:15 PM
My DS has a joint malformation called Arthrogryposis - and in his case, his lower extremities are the most affected, especially his feet (so basically, he does have clubbed feet, its just not "isolated"). He's has two tenotomies, one by itself and then a repeat with his hip surgery. He's been through lots of serial casting which has worked WONDERS, seriously. Right now, he's in a full-leg brace (the hospital calls it the "club foot special" LOL). He's 19m and he can't walk yet, but that has more to do with his hips and muscles than his feet. I know there's at least another mama or two who has a babe with clubbed feet, maybe she'll chime in. :goodvibes:
aran_knitter
12-13-2006, 06:50 AM
I called my MIL, and she said that DH was in shoes for about a year, but that they were enough to fix it. I was prepared for DD to have some sort of "problem" needing attention, because, between his feet, his mouth and his ears, DH is full of them! lol (only - I wasn't aware of this one :rolleyes: )
pixiepunk
12-14-2006, 05:42 PM
i had club feet as a baby - quite a severe case - i had seial casting done and was in boots and bar at night till age 4, also wore straight-lash shoes during the day till age 3. it never much affected my ability to do stuff though. i hike, took dance snd gymnastics, martial arts, and now teach yoga.
dd was born w/one and much milder. she also had seial casting done and wore boots and bar, but was done w/them by age 2. also wore insoles for about 9 months when fist walking to help her feet develop properly.
in the scheme of things, not such a big deal - not a barrel of monkeys, but he should be ok:thumbsup:
stephdpn
12-14-2006, 05:47 PM
I had feet that turned severly outward (not sure what the medical term is), but I also wore a bar and boots for a long time (not sure they do that anymore) and wore shoes with orthotics until I was in junior high...you would truly never know it today - thank goodness for the intervention. I have lots of friends who had clubbed feet as babies, to varying degrees...all are perfectly healthy, walking adults!
urchin_grey
12-14-2006, 05:52 PM
Yup, they still do the Dennis-Brown bar! DS had those for a few months but then we switched to full-length braces because they weren't working for him so well.
I had feet that turned severly outward (not sure what the medical term is), but I also wore a bar and boots for a long time (not sure they do that anymore) and wore shoes with orthotics until I was in junior high...you would truly never know it today - thank goodness for the intervention. I have lots of friends who had clubbed feet as babies, to varying degrees...all are perfectly healthy, walking adults!
aran_knitter
12-14-2006, 05:53 PM
Thanks for the encouragement! We see the specialist tomorrow - he sounds like a good doctor. :)
Tiffer23
12-14-2006, 09:50 PM
Yes, my son is 8m old and he was born with clubbed feet. Very bad, in fact. We went through months of casting, the tenonomy and we're not in the Dennis-Brown bar.
One thing is that the casts made my son sooooooo fussy. He didn't stop crying until he was 4 months old. It was hell to be honest. I thought he was just a high needs baby, but as soon as the casts came off, he completely changed. Now he's the happiest, funniest, sweetest little guy ever. So... I'd suggest trying to keep his legs cool so they don't itch as much, and wiggling the casts a lot when he's fussy so that itching gets scratched.
Also, the casts are loud and yucky, so we bought some little girls socks, long ones to put over the casts, so they were a bit softer and it protected his thighs really well too.
Let me go find some pictures. :)
Tiffer23
12-14-2006, 10:11 PM
As a newborn, before he was casted, you can see that his feet point straight towards each other and bend a bit in the middle.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/Newborn%20Baby%20Jackson/KodakCamera058.jpg
This was one month old, his second casts, I think. We went back every week to change them.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/1%20Month/KodakCamera297.jpg
You can see how his feet are turning back in here, it's a picture of a picture
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/3%20Months/ThreeMonths291.jpg
This is 3 months, I think, when he had to be re-casted because we didn't use the bar as we should have. :(
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/3%20Months/ThreeMonths299.jpg
First night in the bar, after not having worn it. NOT fun. It hurt bad because his tendons tightened back up, so this bar wasn't doing anything helpful.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/3%20Months/ThreeMonths342.jpg
Blood on his casts from the tenonomy. He did just fine with it though, a little sore the first day and that was it! He was close to 4m here.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/3%20Months/threemonths2040.jpg
5m sleeping with the brace on (we used it exactly how we were suppose to this time!)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/5%20Months/5Months369.jpg
7m- A walk around the campus before bedtime. Then on of him sleeping all funny in the brace.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/7%20Months/6Months258.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/7%20Months/7Months164.jpg
And this is a video of him crawling in his brace. He doesn't let it get him down. He hates when he tries to stand and can't, but that's all. Password is jackabean if it asks.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/7%20Months/?action=view¤t=7Months263.flv
Sorry there were so many pictures... just trying to give an overview. lol.
Sweet_Fantasy_Fox
12-14-2006, 10:29 PM
Tiffer, your little man has come a long way, i didnt know exactly how clubbed feet were treated, his feet look good compared to the nb pic, he is such a handsome little man!!! The video is awesome~ he doesn't allow the bar to hold him back and it's wonderful!!
urchin_grey
12-14-2006, 11:13 PM
OMG Tiffany, I love the video! Bram could barely even roll over with the bar. :hehe2:
It is crazy how fast their feet can start tightening back up though. :( Bram had to go back to casts this last time just after waiting to get new braces. :ahh: Now that he has them though, they ONLY come off for baths. Casts BITE.
I might come back later and share some pics too. :giggle: I only have one of his legs before casting though. :( He was casted before he left the NICU and of course, he was swaddled in all of his hospital pics.
Tiffer23
12-15-2006, 12:14 AM
Thanks. :) Carly, I understand about the lack of pictures. I actually told DH to get LOTS of his feet because we wouldn't get many after he was casted. And I wanted to remember. Even though they weren't right, we loved his feet, it didn't matter. He'd sleep with them all curled up under his bum (let's see if I've got the picture)...
He's sleeping without his brace tonight actually. He's had some bad... I don't know what it is, it looks like a birth mark, but it's not, it's something the brace has caused, I don't know if I've been making it too tight or what. I called his Orthotics Dr and hopefully they'll get us in ASAP tomorrow night so he can be back in it tomorrow night.
Sad thing is, he's not moved since I put him down. He normally wiggles all night and cries out once an hour. :( Just makes me realize it IS the brace he hates. I don't know why he's not used to it. He's in it every single night.
I just have to keep reminding myself that it's only for a few years. Then we'll be done. And he'll be able to walk and run with all the other kids his age. So it's worth it! I just hate that he's still having a rough time with it.
And because I'm a TOTAL picture taking weirdo, here are some more.
How he used to sleep with his feet all tucked under. I love this picture.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/Newborn%20Baby%20Jackson/KodakCamera230.jpg
In the hospital (2 days), a better view of his feet than the previous picture.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/Newborn%20Baby%20Jackson/KodakCamera540.jpg
When his second casts came off, they cut him a little with the saw. :( It happens a lot though, in general. It only happened to him twice, I think. His first official owie.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/Newborn%20Baby%20Jackson/KodakCamera243.jpg
Back home from his very first casting.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/TiffanyOrtiz/Newborn%20Baby%20Jackson/KodakCamera070.jpg
*sigh* I hate it all. Casts, braces... blech. Wish I could do it for him.
OH, and I'd LOVE to see some Bram pictures!
urchin_grey
12-15-2006, 12:38 AM
Yeah, Bram had a really rough time sleeping in that bar too. I know the main reason is because he's a side sleeper like his mommy. :) He just couldn't get comfy in that thing so he would toss around every hour or two, just like what you're talking about. Maybe that's what's bothering Jack? :(
Oh, and here are some Brammy pics. :mrgreen:
Just born - I blacked out his boy parts just incase we have lurkers. :giggle:
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h57/urchin_grey/justborn.jpg
12 days old - first casts and first night home.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h57/urchin_grey/First-bath-at-home-1.jpg
Wearing the bar and looking rather scrappy.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h57/urchin_grey/DSCN0726.jpg
His last round of casts (hopefully)
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h57/urchin_grey/DSCN2324.jpg
This is what he's in now. Its working a LOT better than the other things we've tried so far. :)
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h57/urchin_grey/DSCN2454.jpg
Bram is just gorgeous!! We need to see pictures of him more often!
Seems like those would be a lot better for Jackson to sleep in too... what are they called? I'm trying to get Jack in tomorrow, so I might ask about them. Though... who knows. Bram has something different than Jack, so it might not work as well for him. But then he could move his legs independantly. *shrug*
urchin_grey
12-15-2006, 09:41 AM
Bram is just gorgeous!! We need to see pictures of him more often!
Seems like those would be a lot better for Jackson to sleep in too... what are they called? I'm trying to get Jack in tomorrow, so I might ask about them. Though... who knows. Bram has something different than Jack, so it might not work as well for him. But then he could move his legs independantly. *shrug*
Thanks. :) I like seeing pics of Jack too! :mrgreen:
I don't think they really have a specific name like the bar, they just call them leg braces. :o But they work like a cast would, only removable. :giggle: And they're custom made to fit, so they would be molded to his legs and feet exactly. But they are used for lots of kids at our hospital that just have clubbed feet and nothing more. Oh, and have they talked to you about AFO's yet? Basically they're the same as the leg brace, but they only go up to below the knee - not good for night time but good for helping him stand and such. :goodvibes:
aran_knitter
12-15-2006, 10:07 AM
It's interesting to see the progress those little ones have made!!
I did some research last night... our pediatrician (absolutely love her!) didn't really call it club foot, although the term was used. She wrote something on the referral, but, of course, I can't read it! lol But in my searching last night, I came up with this "http://www.drfoot.co.uk/babies_feet.htm"- the bottom on metatarsus adductus is, I think, what the Dr was talking about. Other websites say that there is an 85% chance of correction without major treatment.
Sooo.. it looks like it may be something less severe. (I questioned whether or not it really was club foot.) I am optimistic - our appointment is in about 2 hours! :goodvibes:
Tiffer23
12-15-2006, 10:21 AM
Hmm, that would be great! Let us know how it goes!
jls~Kain~Drake
12-15-2006, 12:53 PM
My first is "pigeon-toed"..my SIL had to wear braces and special shoes for several years and I've brought up my sons feet to the ped and he brushes everything off. He trips over his feet a lot and drags his toes. I hope he doesn't have any problems in the future. When my 2nd was born, his feet looked the exact same and they told me to "flick" his feet a couple of times about 10 times a day. Didn't tell me that with #1.
You guys have adorable babies!!!!!
iamamamato3boys
12-15-2006, 02:37 PM
Tiffany and Carly, thanks so much for sharing the pics! They bring back so many memories. My oldest (almost 6) had club foot in his left foot only and we did the casting weekly, the surgery, then the boots & bar (which, we also got lazy with), and finally an AFO.
We were supposed to go back annually but when we went to make the appointment, we were told we needed to be referred back to them (the specialist) by our family Dr. We got referred back every year and haven't been able to get Logan back in to the specialist since he was 1.
He walks, he runs, he is in his 2nd year of pre-competitive trampoline and tumbling. I just wish his foot looked 'normal'. It doesn't turn in (unless he's running really fast) but he can't get less then a 90 degree angle to it (up and down). I wouldn't mind trying to get him an AFO or KAFO to wear at night at least.
I totally sympathize on the 'high needs' baby issue. Logan was horrendous. The casting, surgery, bar completely ruined our first year together and he had really bad stranger anxiety for 2 years. We were lazy with the bars because he wasn't sleeping, I wasn't sleeping, we couldn't do a whole lot without trying to work around the darn bar.
(wow, that got long lol)
Okiemunchkinsmom
12-15-2006, 03:04 PM
Oh such beautiful babies!
I didn't see anyone mention it, so I thought I would. Has anyone else used Kinesio Tape? We started using it with ds5 last year and it seems to work better than the AFO's. We've also started using it on ds2 (he is super stiff in his hips, knees, and ankles, and his feet turn in and his toes drag sometimes). It is just amazing what a difference it makes. Literally one second he's without tape and walking with his feet turned in and dragging his toes and the next he's got tape on and heel-toe walking. I just thought I'm mention it :mrgreen:
Sweet_Fantasy_Fox
12-15-2006, 03:37 PM
Beautiful baby pics!!!
Tiffer23
12-15-2006, 04:38 PM
Hey Carly, can I print off one of the pictures of Bram in his braces to show our doctor in case we need to switch him out of his DBB?
We went today and they upsized his shoes, so that might help. Hopefully!
aran_knitter
12-19-2006, 05:40 PM
Sorry my response is so delayed...
The Dr. said I was correct in my "diagnosis" of metatarsus adductus. He took x-rays said that there is no need for treatment in her case, although he did show me some exercises to do.
We are thankful that all is well! :happyclap:
urchin_grey
12-19-2006, 05:53 PM
Sorry my response is so delayed...
The Dr. said I was correct in my "diagnosis" of metatarsus adductus. He took x-rays said that there is no need for treatment in her case, although he did show me some exercises to do.
We are thankful that all is well! :happyclap:
Awesome, that's great!
Oh, and I just looked that up on yahoo because I wasn't quite sure of the difference but if I understand right, that means that just the front of her foot is affected right?
Anyway, I'm glad your got a correct diagnosis! :carrot:
pixiepunk
12-19-2006, 08:51 PM
for those w/babes still in boots and bar at night... do you co-sleep? what really helped DD get comfy was sleeping on her side and leaning the top foot on me (so in essence my body was holding it up for her). this was also how we were able to nurse in a side-lying position. it really helped her to be more comfy at night.
funny... she used to be so still at night because of the boots and bar, i guess it was difficult to thrash around much with them. now that her feet are loose, they're constantly gettin me in the middle of the night, and she is all over the place when she sleeps :laugh:
MyLil'Mountaineers
12-19-2006, 09:08 PM
Sorry my response is so delayed...
The Dr. said I was correct in my "diagnosis" of metatarsus adductus. He took x-rays said that there is no need for treatment in her case, although he did show me some exercises to do.
We are thankful that all is well! :happyclap:
My oldest has something similar to this. Our ped has suggested that we not do anything for him. My DH has to wear braces on his feet and legs when he was little but apparently they only do that in extreme cases.
My ped said that it had to do with the way he was postioned in the womb and that if it doesn't affect his walking or running, he'll be fine. She also suggested getting him involved in some sort of sports activity.
I'm glad that she is doing well and there is no need for a treatment!!!!
