Bad news at 20 week scan

[PurpleFlowersInMyHair]

Found out today that our baby has talipes (club foot). I understand prognosis is much better these days due to treatment in the last ten years (ponseti). But still upsetting to think of my newborn in plaster casts.

Has anyone been through this and can offer advice? Were the first few weeks managing a newborn going through treatment hell? Is it painful.

Obviously it’s one of the best birth defects to get as (hopefully) it can be cured. Still very upsetting though.

Although I can’t comment on the condition as a baby nowadays my husband has a club foot. He has lead a very active life and is very sporty. Hope someone can comment with some advice on treatment nowadays. Just wanted to give a hand hold xx

Thanks- did your husband have treatment as a child? It looks like it can be tough to manage the treatment in the first few months but after that gets much easier. I guess it will depend on the severity and we won’t know that until after birth.

I suppose it’s just a shock which we weren’t expecting. Especially as we had one completely healthy child. This pregnancy has been so difficult in comparison (severe sickness and low Papp a so already at risk of pre eclampsia and early labour- I’ve got it all going on!)

Can’t quite believe it.

My friend's baby had it. She's now 4 and you'd never know it. She had to wear a leg brace some of the time. I don't know her really well so I'm not sure the ins and outs, but she never complained and from an outside perspective it didn't get in the way of anything. If anything it seems to be better healed than another friends child who had a hip problem and still limps at 13yo.

My 5 year old was diagnosed with a cleft lip at the 20 week scan. Different problem I know but I would imagine the emotions are similar. The pregnancy was the hardest part because the cleft seemed so overwhelming as we didn't know much about him. When he was born it was easier. It's hard to explain but once he was here and I could see him and look after him his cleft didn't seem like such a huge issue.

Did they say the degree of severity? As it can vary massively, mild can often be dealt with via physio or a harness, more severe and it may be plaster casts or surgery. Either way it should be dealt with quickly after birth and therefore reduce interference with walking etc which is good.

My boyfriend's brother was born with a club foot. He had to go through treatment until he was 8, but they gradually kind of weaned him off it when they confirmed that his foot was as good as it would ever be.
He's 13 now and, to be honest, I would never have guessed he had a club foot - there's no noticeable difference between the size of his feet nor the way he positions them.
So long as you take your baby to all the treatments, it really won't be too much of an issue (although the cast may cause some difficulties when changing your baby's nappies).
I can understand you may be upset, but please feel safe in the knowledge that it's quite an easy birth defect to treat and won't impact them in later life :)

I can't speak from personal experience but very good friends of ours son has this. He's now 2yrs and walking / running, doing everything a 2yr should do so fingers crossed it all seems ok. The first 3-6 months were quite tough as he had an op early on and then had to wear a strap/brace on his feet for most of the time (he only wears it at night now I believe). He doesn't know any different and so he is used to having it on. He's a smiley, happy & healthy lovely little boy. I can completely understand how you feel, but from what I have seen the treatment seem very good.

Thanks everyone- your responses are reassuring

We are due another scan and consultation next week.

We could see it on the scan (both feet) so I guess it’s probably more on the severe end of the scale but apparently they won’t know the full extent until the feet are examined after birth.

I agree that it’s probably the best birth defect you can have. If it can be sorted in early childhood it is not a lifelong issue. It would have been very debilitating years ago.

I was born with talipes in my left foot. Obviously I can't speak on what it is like to have a newborn/young child with the condition, but it has had little impact on my life. Other than regularly attending physiotherapy, I felt no different to my peers, and it truly never bothered me

Thanks all, have been feeling better about it today but this afternoon feeling sad again. Guess it’s just normal processing the emotions. I know it’s fairly treatable- just feeling daunted by the time it takes and hospital appointments until adulthood. But I know it’s one of the better birth defects to get, so we are grateful. I think when you have one healthy baby you just don’t expect bad news, so comes as a shock that’s all.

Have asked to join the Steps FB group (charity for families with club foot/ hip problems). Will be good to hear from people who’ve been there recently.

Thanks again

I had the exact same news at my 20 week scan and I am now 29 weeks. I was also very upset at this but the more people I spoke to about it the more I understood that it is a very treatable condition. My midwife and the consultant were very reassuring. It's surprising how many people you know who either had this themselves or had a friend who have kids with this and all turned out fine.

I thought I would dwell on it for the rest of my pregnancy but I haven't at all because it's treatable. I now barely even think about it and am just excited to meet my little boy. We will manage and I am sure you will too.

He didn’t have treatment on his foot as a child. Not sure what treatment there was as he’s nearly 50. He’s just had surgery a few weeks ago on it though x

Hope you’re husbands surgery is a success soapaddict

Good to know it should get easier with time and reassurance from the medical team katie - we’ve got our consultation next week so I’m looking forward to finding out more then any feeling a bit better prepared.

My son has club foot he's 16 now and had the ponseti treatment from birth. I found out at the 20 week scan too.
The early treatment of the plaster casts wasn't too bad, he definitely didn't seem bothered by them slept really well etc, he only has it in one foot so bathing wasn't too bad. The hardest stage for me was when he had to have the little shoes with bars on all the time, at night he used to bang the bars against the cot and he seemed to hate them so was awake through the night a lot, I remember that being a bit tough but not unbearable. He was fine with his operations at 6 weeks and 3 years too.
He's 16 now I can see he still has some issues with it and one leg is longer than the other which can cause him hip pain, but we see the orthotics department regularly and they look after him well.
One thing I wish I had done more,looking back is make him prioritize his ankle exercises throughout childhood, his ankles would be stronger and he wouldn't be turning his foot in as much now. I've bought him a wobble board and make him go on it at least once a day hoping that will help.
X

My best friends son was born with talipes and had the ponsetti method. She found a lot of comfort from several Facebook groups about it. You should search for them, lots of advice and support from people going through it. He is 1 now and his feet are Incredible compared to at birth he is also walking with no problems.

My SILs have recently been told their baby has bilateral talipes. They had another scan and blood tests to rule out a couple of conditions but it looks like it is "just" talipes iyswim and they are in a similar watch and wait situation. They are still reeling. I think, as another poster said, it's because they haven't met him yet so know nothing about him bar this unknown and upsetting diagnosis. Their eldest was perfectly healthy too and obviously, they worry about the impact upon him as well as the impact of the treatments upon the new baby.

I wish you all the very best. I only have a cursory understanding of treatments really but do know that they're better than ever, particularly without the need for surgery in most cases nowadays.

Our little on was born with distal arthrogryposis.. She had tailipes of the hands and feet. 6 on the pirani scale.. It's a bit of a shock but it's something you eventually cope with.. The ponseti method is so well established that the outcomes tend to be very good.

a) Plaster casts to correct feet position gradually and occasionally tendon release
b) Full time boots and bars for a couple of year
c) Part time boots ad bars until 4 years old

You do need to adjust and you need to make sure that you buy a baby seat that can cope with the bars.

Also reinforce your furniture and your knees. The bars can hurt a lot..

Hope things go well.. Don't know what at of the country you are in but we were looked after by Sharon at the Dragon Centre at St Georges in Tooting and her and her staff were the most amazing people ever.

I had a club foot when I was born (I'm 33 now!) and had treatment straight away - casts/splints and physio! I'm fine :) and if it was painful I certainly can't remember

Try not to worry! They are easy to fix! Xxx

I was born with a club foot! I had an operation on the ankle and had yo wear a specially made shoe sole and foot brace for a year. Although I've never been able wear high heeled shoes and do get a bit of pain in that ankle if I've been walking long distances, youd never know I'd ever had it! It's a thing that is easily sorted. Try not to worry x

Quick update.. We moved overseas a few years ago.. The clubfoot came back so we had to have tendon transfers done.. We eventually went to an excellent orthopedic Hospital in Vienna.. Had to fund the treatment ourselves but the care was excellent.. Little one is now slowly getting back on her feet.. The health insurance company here has been very good in providing wheelchair and special boots with no delays..

Slightly different but my son had talipes and hip dysplasia at birth due to 'malpositioning' (i.e. he was breech for a bit and then settled head down but in an odd position. The talipes turned out to be positional only and he had to have daily physio to relax the muscles in his feet but no further treatment, and then he had a pavlik harness for the hip for 8 weeks. I didn't know about either before birth and to be honest it would have been better to have some warning and then you're ready for the hospital appointments and scans and things that are coming.

It feels a lot less overwhelming once you're doing it and quickly becomes part of your normal. I wish you lots of luck!