Anyone got any experience of baby born with talipes?

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We found out our baby has right ankle talipes at the 20 week scan. I've been reassured to not be overly worried (from what i've been told/read its quite common, relatively easy to treat etc) but I need info what happens after birth etc. Midwife a bit vague when we asked.

I'm 40+4 at the moment. Obviously how they treat it will depend on severity, but how soon after birth does treatment begin? Will baby be seen on its birthday? Do you have to wait x amount of weeks for a referral? Anyone who can give me any info from their own experience would be greatly appreciated!

Ta

there may be some useful advice on nhschoices website.

Talipes can be subdivided, basically into positional or fixed.

Positional means than when baby is born, the crooked foot can be easily pulled into a normal position...it got a bit 'squished' in the womb, but with gentle stretching or a smiple bandagine regimen (like crepe bandage) the foot will essentially beceom 'normal' in a short time.

Fixed means the ankle/back of the foot is actually made in the wrong shape. The good news is that this is much rarer anyway, and, in most cases, the tissues are still pretty malleable so using a series of plaster casts, the foot can be 'deformed' back into a normal shape, and in most cases that's it, for life!

Can I suggest that

• you don't assume the worst

-have a look at the Ponseti Method online (that's the series of plaster casts) which is increasingly used throughout specialist centres in the Uk and has the most amazing results on feet that previously would have undergone a series of quite complex operations

• you make sure that baby's hips are scanned (ultrasound) at birth as there is a slight association with congenital dislocated hips, which an ultrasound picks up accurately...this should be done routinely if ther'e any talipes

Hope someone with some personal experience will be along soon, but hope this is some help.

DS had positional talipes both feet. Apparently this is more common in boys and with reduced fluid levels (which I had). He had no treatment (apart from the straightening exercises that I kept forgetting to do). He walks fine, started at about 16 months.

Fixed talipes is quite different. timetosmile has good advice.

My dd was born with positional talipies. She had a course of physio as a newborn but they corrected very quickly and never affected her development.

Thanks TTS, thats great, i'll have a look at that in a mo. From what can see from the sonographer notes it says positional, so looks like this is the "best" of two evils.

Also wondering (probably a daft question) about practical issues like babygros, does the foot fit in okay if it's bent inwards? Or do you have to cut the foot bit off the babygros to accommodate?

Thanks Bonzo and TIITW, can you help with above question?

I was told just to make sure there was no pressure on the foot. Baby grows were fine but as soon as his feet were at the end I moved him to the next size up. DS was very thin (5lb11) but normal length (52cm) so looked ludicrous in the bigger baby grows. His feet really are 100% fine now. They pointed in a bit until he started cruising, but have been fine since. Obviously the same goes with sleeping bags and swaddles (if you use them), and making sure socks are not too small.

My dds feet were bent upwards. So top of her foot touching lower shin. Never had any issues with baby grows. We didn't know she had them til birth but we saw a physio within about a week and just had some stretching exercises to do at home.

Yeas, that's sort of what DS's were like. We were not offered physio, the talipes was just mentioned in passing when we were discharged. One foot was worse than the other.

My ds' were positional, no problems with babygrows re the talipes except he had very long feet for a nb and still blooming well does! I found Tesco, Boots and Mothercare a bit small on footsizing in babygros, M&S and Next much more generous.

We were given physio exercises to do from the pediatrician about day 3 after he was born, which meant flexing the foot up and down in the right way, which I was a bit squeamish about but dh wasn't and did make a big difference. And once ds started walking they corrected themselves totally. We were advised that once he needed shoes to get some that supported the ankle as that would help maintain position.

At nearly 8 he is seeing a podiatrist to have his 4th toes realigned, as they bend and one goes under the other, which only means wearing a toe splint. Might be connected with the talipes, might not, but he's always been active and sporty and being born with talipes has not affected that.

Good luck with the arrival of your new baby

DD was born with positional talipes. It was sorted out with a few weeks of stretching. She is 14 and has no problems. I was advised to make sure her shoes supported her ankles well when she was a toddler.

DS2 had positional talipes, particularly on his left foot.
They will check it when paed does the newborn checks in the day or so after your lo is born (or did in our case) in hosp (assume hosp birth). Our MW saw it first and then it was in our notes for a paed to check it (to make sure it was positional not fixed really). I assume you can start exercises asap, as earlier the better if I remember rightly.
We saw a physio who recommended stretching exercises for us to do on his feet (basically, just holding them / stretching in their 'right' position several times a day). Was easy to do and we just did them at nappy changes and whenever he was on our laps really. At 21 months now, you could never tell there was a 'problem'. Physio lady came out a few times, monitored progress, discharged us when she was happy it was improving and that was it really. Didn't make any difference to babygros or any other clothes here.

Hello!

I'm 29 and I had this condition when I was born - I'm guessing it was the fixed one as I was put in a plaster cast around the time I was 1 (not sure how long for or why it took so long but things were a little different back then!) - everyone loves reminding me of the story of how I learnt to walk with the cast on and then they took it off and I had to learn to walk again. Apparently it never bothered me or slowed me down! There is absolutely nothing wrong with me now and I've been extremely sporty from a very young age. Never had to have any other treatment for it either!

Hope this helps!

Xx

Thanks everyone, I don't know of anyone personally who has had a baby with this condition so your experience and info is very helpful.

I've been told Steven Gerrard had this when he was born, doesn't appear he's been held back at all!!

All I need now is for the little bugger to make an appearance!!

DD had positional talipes. From 3 weeks until the the physiotherapist could see her walking (nearly 20 months in her case!!) she had regular sessions of physiotherapy every month.
No problems with babygros, just like above I would be careful the feet weren't pressurising on hers at all.
We were told to avoid baby walkers and to make sure she wears supportive shoes.
At 34 months her feet are perfect.

Hey our future bundle of joy has positional talipes of the left foot. We are 28 weeks. We got in touch with Steps a charity dedicated to lower limb anomalies(sp?). They were very helpful.

www.steps-charity.org.uk/

Just re-read this thread, nearly a year on! My baby was born with fixed talipes on the right foot. He got treated with plaster from ten days up to 12 wks and then Ponsetti boots every day til 6mo then just at night until he's four. His foot looks brill, compared to how it looked when he was first born.

Re reviving this thread as we were lead to believe it was quite common, but didn't get much official help at the time. STEPS is a useful website, lots of info. Please in box if you want any support x

Or out box, if u wanna lol. I'm interested in the demographics, however you don't seem to see any postings on here. Our consultant says they go weeks with no cases then a cluster of 3 or 4.

Have an 8 week old born with fixed talipes. just wondering what type of car seat/ pram you used once in Ponsetti boots. My carrier is too narrow he doesn't look comfortable.