Metatarsus adductus?????

[daydreamzofsleep]

My dd was referred by our gp to the orthopaedic clinic at hospital for assessment when she was 12 months as she had positional talipes when born - she was breech until 39 weeks. He considered casts but delayed for 3 months. when we took her back he said her ankles and limbs were fine and that he would not cast her as she had flexible metatarsus adductus. he told us to put her shoes on the wrong feet and he would see her again in 12 months. The shoes on the wrong feet situation is hopeless she has poor balance when walking anyway and it is destroying her confidence. She has reverted to shuffling on her knees everywhere and hardly walks now at all. Does anyone have any experience of this at all?

My DS has metatarsus adductus.

Ask to be referred to a physio. Get some stretching exercises for her, DEMAND to be given piedro boots (or similar reverse last type corrective shoes).

My DS' was very severe and he didn't walk unaided until he was 23 months, he also has onther SN though.

He had serial casting aged 3.5 where they cast and hold till set a stretch on calf, these are changed weekly giving a little more stretch each time. first time he had it for 4 weeks, but then his feet had grown and he couldn't wear his boots was a problem in ordering and 5 weeks later they arrived and feet had grown again! by this time the good work done by the casting was undone and he went back to casting for 3 week until new boots came. This has had the most positive benefit for DS.

DS now has night splints, day splints and a pair of reverse last shows with a metal plate in the bottom to stop him tiptoe walking.

I cannot believe you are not getting better help, it is so much easier to do this when they are younger. DS didn't get his boots until he was 20 months.

You need to be firmer with your requests for assistance, the squeakiest wheel gets the most oil I'm afraid.

I have never seen an orthopod, only physio and orthotic clinic guy who is great. I was actually never referred to physio either as Paed felt DS would get fed up with all the intervention.

Luckily paeds physio is next to portage and his portage worker arranged it.

Physio wanted him to have boots so she wrote to my GP for funding, my GP is great and agreed everything.

The orthotic clinic is based weekly in paeds physio so boots and casting for splints done there. Serial casting also done by physio.

I realise each HA is different but this only came about by me finding out what was available (from other parents and Portage worker) and asking for it firmly.

Good luck

the orthotic clinic is based in the paed orthopaedic dept here. I was given stretching exercises to do before we were discharged from the postnatal ward and although there has been some improvement the in-toeing and imbalance is still clear. She saw the consultant in charge of the whole dept so i doubt i will get anywhere asking for a second opinion. Am frustrated. A salesperson in shoe shop suggested i try a podiatrist but although i would never grudge my dd any costs to help her, i wondered if going back to health visitor/gp and seeing if could refer her rather than paying privately might be an option. But to be honest i have no idea if a podiatrist is what she needs?

Go back to GP.