According to research by the University of Aberdeen and Bournemouth University, parents of babies born with clubfoot share many of the negative feelings and perceptions experienced by parents of children with more disabling conditions.
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The study, published in the International Journal of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing, which involved 15 families in the north east of Scotland with children aged between five months and 14 years who had clubfoot treatment.
Shock, anger, self–blame, guilt and depression are among emotions felt by some families when diagnosis is first made of clubfoot, which is one or both feet being turned down and pointing inwards.
The physical and emotional toll on parents who shoulder most of the burden of the treatment of clubfoot, plus the worries they have for their child’s future, were also revealed in the study which is one of the first accounts of parenting a child in the UK with the condition.
The researchers say that healthcare workers should pay more attention to the emotional impact on parents of children with clubfoot.
Dr Zosia Miedzybrodzka, Reader in Medical Genetics at the University of Aberdeen and Director of Genetics at NHS Grampian, supervised the study together with NHS Grampian Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr Simon Barker, and the work was conducted by MSc student Marta Pietrucin–Materek.
Dr Miedzybrodzka said: “In the 15 years I have worked with families of children with clubfoot I have become aware that the condition is more of an issue for families than healthcare professionals believe it to be. The generally held view is that because the condition is treatable it does not affect families too much.”
“However our study shows that this is not the case. The treatment for clubfoot puts a huge burden on families who have to deal with months and years of treatment with plaster casts and then boots with bars on their child’s legs, as well as frequent visits to the hospital.”
The research showed that having a child with clubfoot also impacted on parents’ use of childcare provision with some parents uncomfortable about using such services especially if they felt their child looked different from other children.
The good news is that parents whose babies are born with clubfoot, can find comfort in knowing that clubfoot is very treatable using the Ponseti Method, which has a very high success rate. Parents would be well-served by seeking out a clubfoot specialist who can help their child have normal feet.
If your child has clubfoot, or you suspect that he or she has clubfoot, then you need to seek out a qualified clubfoot doctor who is trained in the Ponseti Method of clubfoot correction. Contact our clubfoot doctors at the Clubfoot Institute by calling (877) FOOT-911. We are here to help you and your child.
