Talipes detected at 20 week scan

[Soon2bmumma]

Hi all. I was looking for a bit or help/reassurance!
At my recent 20 week scan my soon to be daughter has what is suspected talipes in her left foot. We are waiting for a call from the hospital once the consultant has seen the images but wait feels like forever!

I’ve done what I probably shouldn’t, I’ve done lots of google research. It’s all very scary, especially this is our first pregnancy after several miscarriages. From what I can see, there are 2 types of talipes- Positional and Structural.
What I would like to know however is can positional talipes be detected at the 20 week scan. Or if it is detected at the scan does it always mean the talipes is structural?
I really hope someone can help xx

I'm afraid I'm no help at all, but just wanted to show there was someone listening and give it a bump. I've never heard of talipes but I'm 25 weeks so can imagine how stressful and uncertain this must be for you

We also had talipes identified at the 20 week scan. I think they said it can be either sort, so I am waiting to see how it turns out. It was a few months ago (before all the restrictions) and we had a session with the physio and surgical team at our hospital who handle the treatment. It was very reassuring and I think they get good results, although it is daunting. Good luck!

Thank you Ers77. Did they say what sort of talipes it is? Also, once you found out how did you cope? I keep telling myself not to worry and stay calm, but it’s not that easy!

No, I don't think they could tell what kind it was at that stage. It is just one foot, like you, which they said makes it less likely to be linked to any other concerns. I suppose it might increase the odds of it being positional, but it could be either way.

Ours looked fairly mild - the sonographer picked it up (it hadn't been seen at a private scan I had had shortly before), the doctor then couldn't see it at the rescan, but the consultant did agree that there was something there.

It helped me to see examples of the casts they use, and photo diaries, and I saw a little one coming out of the clinic with boots and bars. Not what you'd wish for, but honestly, it looked manageable (and the baby was very sweet).

I am still worried though, as I have had a few losses and am no spring chicken! Just hoping all will turn out okay.

My son was born with quite obvious talipes affecting both feet. We had to do some stretches with his feet each day and I would say at about 10 months it resolved. Obviously severity varies, but it hasn't bothered him at all and is now resolved.

Most of the time talipes is normal and not attached to other conditions, so try not to worry.

My daughters talipese (bilateral so both feet) was picked up at 20 week scan, at the time the types were fixed or positional, couldn't tell us until she was born. The treatment was fantastic and now she's an 8 year old gymnast in her clubs squad team please try not to worry, it feels like the end of the world but it's really treatable

Thank you all for your responses...I really do appreciate it 😘

My little cousin had really severe talipes (or club foot as it was then!) both feet.
He had several surgeries as a tiny and lots of physio. Then was fine. He did have to have one other surgery about 18 months ago to do something to ligaments due to a growth spurt. But he’s a strapping twelve year old who plays football at county level so it’s not held him back!

My DD was born with mild talipes, we were showed how to massage the leg and exercise it a few times a day, no issues with it now. Not sure which type it was though.

❤️

@Ers77

We also had talipes identified at the 20 week scan. I think they said it can be either sort, so I am waiting to see how it turns out. It was a few months ago (before all the restrictions) and we had a session with the physio and surgical team at our hospital who handle the treatment. It was very reassuring and I think they get good results, although it is daunting. Good luck!

Quirious how it went for you - was it positional or structural? Also got news at 20 week scan and now dreading about it 😬

@Ers77

We also had talipes identified at the 20 week scan. I think they said it can be either sort, so I am waiting to see how it turns out. It was a few months ago (before all the restrictions) and we had a session with the physio and surgical team at our hospital who handle the treatment. It was very reassuring and I think they get good results, although it is daunting. Good luck!

Quirious how it went for you - was it positional or structural? Also got news at 20 week scan and now dreading about it 😬

Quirious how it went for you - was it positional or structural? Also got news at 20 week scan and now dreading about it 😬

Sorry for the same messages, didn’t realise they are being posted!

I’ve got 2 friends with son’s who have talipes at various stages in their treatment.

Boy 1 is now 3 and is tearing around like any other 3 year old. I think he wears boots on a night to ensure his limbs are in the correct position. I always tried to sit head side when he was tiny and in his boots full time as he liked to kick with them and it hurt!

Boy 2 is about 3 months and in the cast part of his treatment. He doesn’t know any different and is perfectly happy.

Both boys conditions were picked up at 20 week scans and has treatment plans in place from birth. I think it’s amazing they can correct something that used to be so debilitating.

I’m sure it won’t be an easy road, but I don’t think there’s no hope

Please try not to worry. My ds was born with talipes in one foot. It was described as ‘as bad as it gets’. He was put in a plaster cast at 12 days old and then into bar and boots. He’s a strapping boy now who loves sport. I was religious about putting his boots on every night. So much so that for years after he slept with socks on because it was natural for him to have something on his feet.

If you google the ponsetti method you will find out more.

Our turned out to be positional. She was walking at 10 months and her foot is almost perfectly positioned now. I hope it gets better with time, but it’s not slowing her down at all.

I have to say that the Ponsetti team we saw before she arrived were fantastic though, and I am sure you will manage if it does turn out to be structural.

Good luck!

Thank you for your kind messages. I have probably googled too much at this stage, and have been driving myself mad 😖
I know doctors don’t have a way to say which type of talipes it is before the birth, but was wondering what is the experience of others for which talipes was seen on 20 week scan.

My daughter was born with positional talipes but it wasn't picked up on scans- I had growth scans right up until the end too. I think most of the time it's just due to positioning in the womb. She needed to attend physiotherapy a couple of times and we were given some massage techniques to do at home. I think it was resolved by about the time she was 6 weeks old and she's now a perfectly healthy, energetic 5 year old who never stops 🤣 it's hard and stressful when things are mentioned at a scan but try not to worry.x

Just wondered what the outcome was for your little one? Did they have structural or positional? Our little one has been diagnosed with bilateral talipes at our 20 week scan and I'm so scared. Feels so unfair when everyone else has normal scans etc and it's not in our family or anything, so it's so confusing that it's happened. Just looking for a bit of hope and advice 🙏🏼🩷

its so distressing hearing it @rainer22, I’ve felt so hopeless when I heard it at 20 week scan. I know how you feel!

That was our case too, not in family, no idea how it happened. They did a follow up scan a few weeks later to make sure everything else is in order, and it was. They confirmed unilateral talipes again.

We connected with Ponseti clinic and had intro chat with physio at about 30 weeks. I still had my hopes up it’s positional, but physio told us that when it’s spotted that early in pregnancy it’s usually structural.

When my little baba was born doctors actually couldn’t determine if it’s positional or structural for a few weeks. They suggested starting exercises as it’s positional, but after three weeks of no progress they decided it’s best to start the treatment as if it was structural, not to loose time. We finally got to see specialist at about one month and she confirmed it’s structural. We went through casting, tenotomy and brace for 23 hours for 3 months. After that it’s brace for 12 hours a day until 4, if everything goes ok 🙏🏼

I won’t lie, it was very hard and I cried a lot. However, it gets easier with time, specially when you see they are doing well and as time with the brace reduces. Now at 21 month he is the most active boy I’ve seen - walks and runs literally the whole day! ❤️ We joke we should get him steps tracker cos he never stops 😂 And at this stage we don’t really notice the brace anymore, it’s just a routine.

Kids are very resilient, it’s probably harder on us parents. I understand it’s hard, but try to remember that in grand scheme of things it’s minor and can be corrected 🙏🏼

if you need and advice or just want a chat, feel free to dm me. I know I felt very lonely and lost in it all at the time. I would suggest do some research on clothes you would be need to get if it’s structural (eg no footed pjs - next is great for that), high chair to get (one that doesn’t require taking the brace off to sit in and has support for legs so brace doesn’t dangle around) etc.

stay strong mama! 💪🏼

I totally understand your concerns and worries. Our daughter was born with positional talipes and because we wanted to make sure the diagnosis was correct we got her referred to a specialist at the Royal Orthopaedic hospital in north london who were brilliant. She’s now a nearly 3 year old who is super active and you’d never know! I’ve met parents of babies with positional talipes and yes it was hard at first but the treatment options are brilliant and work xx

Thankyou so much for replying 🩷 it really is so distressing to hear. Everything I read online too keeps saying 'deformity' and I hate to think my baby girl has a deformity of any kind, just want her to be normal 😔. I'm so glad to hear your little one is doing so well!!! That gives me so so so much hope 🙏🏼🩷 I think too because it's my first baby it's just so scary thinking I can't make a 'normal' baby like everyone else, basically beating myself up about it, because no one else in my family has babies with it. I just hope in future my little girl will be all fixed and 'normal' like every other child and I also hope we will be able to give her a little brother or sister who doesn't have Talipes or anything 'wrong', and we'll be able to experience the normal pregnancy and newborn stage just like everyone else does with our second without all of this treatment etc 🙏🏼🤞🏼🩷 xx

I really really know how you feel, he is my first too and I was so distressed. You would give anything for it to go away.

but don’t beat yourself up, it is nothing you did. I was the exact same, going over if I did something to cause it. Honestly, try not to beat yourself up.

it’s not a deformity and your baby girl will be just fine. It is hard, but treatment has very high chance of success. She will be normal, like any other kid, and if you don’t know it, you would never be able to tell. We agreed never to make difference between him and others, he’s just like any other kid and if you don’t know, you wouldn’t be able to tell. our boy hit all the milestones, ahead of other kids, and is more active that other kids of his age (he literally doesn’t stop to love the whole day) 😂

So honestly, it’s something that gets corrected and she will be just fine. I think I lost more hair worrying about colds and flues recently than his foot! 🫣

if you need any advice or help, I am here!