Club Foot
Club foot is a congenital condition in which the baby’s foot will be turned towards the inside and will also possibly face downwards. It mostly affects both the feet, but the new-born will be otherwise healthy. In club foot, the tendons of the foot will be shorter than usual. For severe club foot, surgery is done to correct it, and doctors recommend early surgery so that the baby’s walk is not affected. Parents however need not feel concerned that the baby will find club foot painful. Though it looks painful, club foot does not hurt the baby.
Club foot can be treated with casts and braces. A small surgery to the Achilles tendon might also be carried out. Wearing the brace properly according to the doctor’s instructions plays a very important role in recovery.
Alternatively, for severe club feet, surgery might be done to stretch the tendons and ligaments to position the foot properly. Here again, the use of casts and braces will be needed for best results.