34 week growth scan showed possible talipes

[TheMainMeal]

13 week and 20 week scan were both fine. Had additional scans booked due to previously having a small baby.

I've had 2 so far that showed that this baby is also small and under the 10th centile but following the centile they're on so there wasn't too much concern about this.

On my third growth scan today at 34 weeks baby has continued to grow following just under the 10th centile and as the sonographer had a few extra minutes she looked over all of the baby this time rather than just the head, waist and thighs.

She spent quite a bit of time looking a the feet and trying to take measurements and then said it's looks like both of babies feet are turned in and showing signs of talipes but that she's not 100% sure on this as its difficult to see clearly and baby could just have their legs crossed causing this funny angle.

The consultant wants another anomaly scan to be done in 10 days to check over the feet and other organs and go from there.

I'm trying not to worry but it's hard when you've got a bit of a wait until you get clarification but does anyone have any experience of being told something like this only for it to be a false alarm and things turn out to be fine?

Or has anyone had this happen and baby is born with talipes, could you tell me your experiences?

Thank you. 😊

If it helps, I was born with two half-club feet and you wouldn't know it now. I spent about two months in plaster casts when I was between 3-6 months which reshaped my feet. This was in the 80s. If it's full club feet I believe the treatment is similar though surgery might be required on the Achilles tendon, and bracing might be required for a while after the plaster treatment. If it is indeed club feet, good to have it identified early so treatment can start when bones are still soft. Mine was not picked up by any doctors but by my mum's friend who recommended I get checked out, fortunately I was still young enough!

Hopefully it turns out not to be an issue, but if it is, there are ways to fix it! All the best for you and the little one!

My DD was born with talipes. She didn't need any special treatment other than me doing special foot exercises on her each time I changed her nappy (basically just straightening her foot!). After a few months, the issue had resolved itself and she's now a healthy, active 16 year old with no foot problems.

Thank you both for your replies. It's reassuring to hear from people who have been through it!

It's just the waiting and the unknown for me. I think I will feel better after the next scan when I know what's going on for sure.

Hello,

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I was told at 20 weeks that my son had talipes. We were referred to the consultant who couldn’t be sure so we had monthly appointments to check. At the last scan before birth, the consultant had changed her mind and said both feet were turned in. He was born with no turn at all! The nurses thought he was a bit cramped which may have looked like talipes on the scan. I was so worried, but a lot of the time, these things sort themselves out without the need for treatment.
Wishing you all the best! X

Hi - as you can see from my name I’ve got experience too! My little boy born with talipes is now a huge great 6ft 15-year old and you’d never know.

His was spotted at the 20 week scan, and we had a couple of follow up scans afterwards. Just one leg. We were of course v upset, and then v soon after were relieved that if it was a problem, it was ‘just’ that, IYSWIM.

He followed the ponseti method where they gently manipulate the foot into position at weekly intervals, applying a plaster cast after each time. It lets the bones grow in more and more correct positions, and after a few months of this (can’t remember exactly) the casting stopped, and he started wearing boots and bar, basically like a little personal snowboard, to hold the foot in the correct position. It was on 23 hours a day to start with, then dropped down to 12 hours a day, up till he was about 5. The foot looked corrected from really early on - all the rest is about holding it in the right position as the bones grow and harden.

It sounds like a massive deal, but it just became our routine. He was brilliant and just knew no different. It didn’t stop any mobility at all - he learnt to shuffle around, move, crawl etc just the same as any other baby. He was walking fine, and his feet look identical - the only difference is his talipes foot is about half a size smaller which is manageable but a bit annoying. And the muscles in his lower left leg are a bit thinner than the right. He has a tiny wedge in his left shoe as they think his left leg ended up about half a cm shorter after teenage growth spurt, but again that’s no issue. He’s a really active kid and it didn’t cause any development issues etc, you’d honestly never know.

There are two types of talipes - the “your leg grew wrong” type, and the “your leg grew fine but got a bit squashed in the womb”. The former takes the type of correction we had, as you’re changing how the bones grew. The latter is easily sorted after birth.

When you know more come back and check in with us - we can help more then. Also take a look at the STEPS site - they’re great. Though you’ll find the people posting there a lot are ones who are having a harder time. It was a bit annoying but totally fine and totally sortable. Please don’t worry!

Hello! My baby was born with a talipe in one foot. It was right up against her shin! It wasn't actually spotted at the hospital but I'd noticed it and mentioned it to a midwife at a home visit. We did massage/ manipulation and over a couple of months it settled into a normal position 😊 I'll try and find you a photo now! It hasn't affected her crawling/ standing. She's 11 months now! X

Hi op,
Honestly I wouldn't worry.. my eldest daughter was born with talipies. Her feet were inwards but she has grown up(15) now its not so obvious. However it is genetic. But OH niece had the same problem but her one was worse where she had to wear special boots. However for my daughter all we had to was some simple foot exercises when she was a baby.

Feel free to ask questions x

Sorry, no photos except where she's in the nuddy! 😂

This was the same situation for us. It was spotted on the scan, we did exercises and it just went away.

Our dd had talipes, it was spotted at the check they do straight after they're born and she was referred to the specialist. By the time her appointment came around it had sorted itself out and no treatment was needed at all.

Lots of info in here: https://www.stepsworldwide.org/conditions/talipes-clubfoot/

DS had a suspected talipes at 20 weeks, felt horrid at the time but midwife assured us it was likely just going to mean a special boot.
10 days later we had an appointment with one of the bigwigs who scanned me in total silence for 20 minutes, sighed, told us we had a distinctly average baby and left the room.
DS born with no talipes and we still laugh at how distinctly average he is.
Try not to worry too much OP but very much easier said than done.

My son was born with talipes and had stopped growing around 35 weeks. He was very small and his little feet basically sat sole to sole against each other. He had physio for his first year and I had to do some physio exercises with him after every nappy change (easiest time to do it)
Gradually his feet ended up sitting where they were meant to and he walked at 14.5 months. He needed reminded to not toe-walk at times over the years but is now a happy, healthy 12 year old who walks himself to and from school with no issues at all, he's the fastest runner I know and has had no lasting problems from being born with talipes. Nobody would even know he'd had this unless we told them.
Good luck with your little one, it is incredible what can be done. I wish I knew how to attach photos to show you how extreme his was to begin with and how he is now. It'll be ok

My baby was born with this! We did the exercises they told us to do and it was all sorted within a few weeks he's 8m now and crawling and starting to stand too he's all fine, I totally forgot about it until I saw your post tbh

@RoseA89
Thanks for this reply, that's sort of what I'm hoping for as nothing was detected at any of my previous scans. After hearing all the really positive outcomes in the replies here I'm not so worried about it being present any more, it's more being worried about how I would manage all the treatments and appointments as I already have an autistic son that I'm a full time carer for so the thought of juggling him and a baby with a medical issue is just really daunting.

@Talipesmum
Wow thanks for such a detailed and informative reply!

That's really reassuring to read. I'm not so worried about it now. It's more just the daunting thought of juggling being a carer for my ASD son and having to attend medical appointments for the baby that is stressing me out but what will be will be and I'll have to find a way to manage.

What was the outcome of this please? I am in the exact same position after being cleared of this at 20 weeks, today’s 34 week scan shows possible talipes and I have to see a consultant next week :(