Conference moira::parenting_v3

My husband's feet turned in and his legs are still slightly bowed today.
His father took a piece of wood and nailed his shoes to it so they
turned out.  (His father will never buy anything if he doesn't HAVE to.)
They made him wear it to bed for a while (couple years?).

After a while he had no problem climbing out of his crib in this
thing and hopping down the hall to the bathroom to get a drink of
water.  Then he had to wake up his parents to put him back in bed.

Today his feet are fine.

-Amy

    My son Seth had this problem, only not to the same degree of
    involvement as your son.  Only his left foot curved inward and his legs
    weren't bowed.  Also, he was only four months old when he first went to the
    orthopedic surgeon so we didn't have to worry about interfering with
    his mobility.  Briefly, we did those exercises for about 4 or 5 weeks,
    but the doctor had to fit Seth with a Bebax shoe - a white, expensive
    item that looks like a sandal since the exercises didn't work.  The
    shoe looks like it is on the wrong foot when you put it on.  I guess it
    stretches the skin on the inside of the foot.  He wore that day and
    night for about three months, then just days for about two weeks.  He
    was seen by the specialist at two week intervals to check on his
    progress.  By the end of the three and half month duration his foot was
    fine and no longer needed to wear the shoe.  It was more of a nuisance
    than anything else - certainly not worrisome like an illness - and Seth
    was never in any discomfort from it.  Since your son is older, almost
    walking and both feet are involved you'll probably have it a bit
    rougher than we did.  Good luck  - hope all your son needs are the
    shoes!
    
    Annette B.
    

    Valarie,
    
    My daughter also had this problem.  She was diagnosed at 6 mos (just as
    she was beginning to crawl).  The orthopedic surgeon that she saw
    (1975).  Put her in shoes with a bar in between.  She had to readjust
    to turning over, but eventually learned to crawl and even to "walk"
    with it on (the walking was hanging on to furniture).  She even slept
    in this.  This procedure went on for about 1 year, and then she
    graduated to  just sleeping in it and wearing corrective shoes with
    lifts to turn out her feet.  She wore the corrective shoes until she
    was about 4 (although she dropped the shoes and bar at night after
    about 2 years).  Her feet and legs are now fine (she is now 16).  
    
    Jackie
    

RE: .1

I just talked to my in-laws about this to get the details straight.
My husband wore the shoes nailed to a piece of wood from age 2-3 for
about a year.  He could climb out of his crib and crawl with it on,
but could not keep his balance to walk.

Another technique they sometimes used was to put his shoes on the
wrong feet.    

-Amy

    My parents were told that I was pigeon toed whenI was little. I
    had to where a pair of shoes (toes cut off) nailed to a board at
    night for a while. To tell you the truth, I don't think I was pigeon
    toed. I didn't wear it for long. I hated it!
    
    My girlfriend also had to wear this (at about 5 yrs old) and told
    me she used to get out of bed to go to the bathroom, and jump down
    the hall with the thing on (woke her parents up every time cuz it
    was so loud).
    
    I am not pigeon toed. She, on the other hand, is terribly pigeon
    toed.            
    
    Don't know if this helps, just my experince. Have yuo gotten a second
    opinion? Just a thought.
    
    Dot

    1.  Make sure you get them to distinguish functional effects from
    cosmetic effects.  Some children have trouble walking (excess
    tripping) or doing other activities because of the foot twisting,
    for others the feet work fine but are noticeably out of line, and
    for still others the twisting will be noticeable only when you
    look for it.  It's certainly valid to treat the condition based on
    cosmetic reasons but you'll want to be fully informed about the
    exact degree and of what, if any, problems it's likely to cause as
    the child grows up. 
    
    2.  Getting a second opinion is a real good idea.  
    
    One of Kat's feet turns in a bit; her first pediatrician (when she
    was 5) thought it should be treated.  We did some exercises for a
    while, but when we moved to Nashua the new doctor said that unless
    it was causing problems in walking or whatever, it wasn't worth
    the cost and effort. 
    
    A couple of years of gymnastics, where foot placement is very
    important, took care of any problems there might have been.  Now
    if you actually look at her footprints in the sand, you can see
    that her feet don't turn out the exact same amount, but she can
    voluntarily turn them wherever she needs to (fifth positon pli� or
    whatever). 
    
    All in all I think I'd recommend gymnastics or ballet to
    strengthen the leg and feet muscles rather than nails and
    boards... 
    
    --bonnie

     When my sister Erin was a baby she also had that problem.  She had the
    bar screwed into her shoes but they also had her wear her shoes
    backwards.  I don't recall it bothering her much, but I do know her
    feet and legs are fine and perfectly normal today, so it obviously
    works.  
       
    

    Valerie-
    
    My daughter (now 27 months) had this problem with BOTH feet. She went
    through the cast treatment (three sets of casts for two weeks, with the
    feet rotated further outward each time the casts were changed), the
    corrective shoes for a few months, and then the corrective shoes with
    the bar for a few months. Unlike your situation, Jamie's problem was
    diagnosed at birth, so her treatments started at age three months and
    ended before she was mobile. However, I don't regret for a moment
    having put her through all the treatments because she now has a
    beautiful set of straight, chubby feet. I can't imagine how
    difficult/painful it would've been for her to use her feet the way they
    were (both physically and emotionally in later years).
    
    I think the whole situation was more difficult for me than for Jamie,
    but we got through it. Although you're dealing with it at a later stage
    than us, I'm glad you're considering it before it becomes too late to
    do anything about the problem.
    
    Please send mail or call if you want more info about our situation.
    
    Good luck!
    
    Nancy-
    
    P.S. - Your health insurance/plan may cover the shoes (ours did), so
    you might want to ask up front.

    Aaron was treated for a similar problem starting at about six months. 
    Some unevenness in growth of muscles or tendons caused him to curl his
    feet inwards.  If untreated, this would eventually lead to permanent
    skeletal deformation, and could eventually involve ankles and knees. 
    At this age I don't think the distinction between cosmetic and
    functional difficulties is meaningful, as an untreated case will
    probably be progressive.  In Aaron's case, stretching exercises and
    daytime use of reverse-curved shoes took care of the problem, and he
    was 100% fine in a couple of years.  But it wasn't certain at first
    that this would be enough, so braces and the like were discussed.  The
    shoes didn't bother him at all, and may even have contributed to his
    being an early walker.  The only drawback was that there were no
    hand-me-down shoes for Eric, who didn't share the problem!
    
    I think the basenoter essentially already has a second opinion, since
    doubtless the pediatrician gave the referral to the orthopedist. 
    Unless some drastic treatment is recommended, I wouldn't feel much need
    to chase additional opinions, if I had confidence in the doctor.
    
    Our orthopedist was in Winchester, and I can remember some delightful
    times watching the ducks in the pond near his office, before and after
    appointments.  I'm glad that that is the association I am left with!
    
    		- Bruce
    

     My son also had a foot problem. His was discovered at birth. He had
    what they call wind swept feet. His right foot turned in and the left
    turned out. My Pedi at the time had me exercise his feet until his six
    week check up. At the check up he had not improved so he recommended a 
    orthopedic specialist. We took him to the doctor he recommended and 
    at his first visit the doctor said he need casts immediately to correct
    the problem. He was 2 1/2 months old when he was scheduled for his 
    first visit. Every two weeks I had to soak the casts off and take him
    back for new ones. After approx. 6 mos. of this he said he was ready
    for the orthopedic shoes (open toed). I did not see any improvement.
    Every time he would sit in his swing or any relaxed position his feet
    would fall into to the wind swept position. I finally called a
    different doctor and made a appt. The first thing he did was take
    X-rays which the other doctor didn't. He found that his right leg turn-
    ed in was because when he was relaxed his whole leg was rotated in the
    socket of the hip and on his left leg it turned out because the bone
    that goes from the knee to the ankle was rotate out. All this was due
    to his position during pregnancy. He wore a bar on his feet only at 
    nap and bedtime and every week we had to go and have it adjusted. At
    the beginning the bar was set exactly like his feet were going and
    little by little the doctor turned the shoes on the bar to go the 
    other way. Once he got his feet rotated back he wore the bar for about
    six months and then was done. He is now 6 and is fine. I highly
    recommend more than one opinion. 
    
    Good Luck!
    Pam
    

    I have heard of this.  I thought they stopped the shoes on a bar thing
    a long time ago. Seems like a dark ages technique, however, it must
    work.  I myself had flat feet and had to have special shoes made to
    accomodate my problem.  Back in 1960 they ran my folks over $30. a
    pair, so that tells you how expensive things can run.  
    
    I don't know how long something like this takes to correct.  I think
    each child is different and it depends on how fast they develop and how
    well the technique that's being used is working.  If he's *casted* I
    imagine that would be VERY difficult to walk, or would limit him to NO
    walking at all.  If he has to wear the shoes on the bar they may only
    require him to do that at night or so many hours a day.  
    
    I would try to make a game out of his exercises so he really enjoys
    doing them.  
    
    Best of luck
    

    My son Alexander has this problem with both his feet, they both turned
    in.  His pedi noticed it when he was about 1 month old and told us to put
    his sneakers on the wrong feet, He will be 8 months old on July 4th and
    his right foot is stright and his left one is almost so he has made
    good progress by wareing is sneakers on the wrong feet.  His pedi told
    me when I buy him shoes to buy Strid rit because they are made for baby
    feet and are cut to not hurt their little ankle bones.  So I will be
    going to strid-rite to get Alex measured for a new pair of sneakers or
    shoes (which ever I want to buy) he is in a size 2 know and his toes
    are starting to touch the tip of his sneakers so I think its time for a
    new pair.
    
    
    Liz

    My brother had the same problem, maybe a little more severe.  His left
    foot was what the doctors called a club-foot.  They noticed it at birth
    and I can remember mom bringing him home with a little tiny cast on his 
    foot.  She saved all of them, there must be fifteen of then which means
    he was in a cast for about three or four months.  Then he had the shoes
    that exposed the toes and was connected to the bar.  I can remember him
    crawling and standing with it.  Sometimes in the morning mom would find
    it off of him.  He never seemed to mind it much.  For years the left
    foot was noticable smaller than the right and she use to purchase shoes
    at different sizes for him.   Today he is 21 and has no problems with
    his feet what so ever.  As a matter of fact he is an excellent skier.
    
    carole
    

    Someone mentioned Stride Rite shoes as being recommended by their pedi.
    My 6 month old is begining to pull himself up to a stand, and runs
    circles around us in his walker.  I usually leave him barefoot
    (vacuuming once a day to be absolutely certain there is nothing sharp
    or dangerous on the floor to injure his feet).  I've read both - get
    them proper-fitting shoes, let them go barefoot.  Which is correct? 
    Sarah
    

    Sarah,
    
    Steven had his 8 mos. checkup on Friday and I asked the doctor
    the same thing.  We always have him in stocking or barefeet,
    a habit we got in when he had a skin irratation on his toes.
    Now that he is pulling up to stand and taking steps as we
    hold his fingers, I was wasn't sure what to do since I had
    read the same things you have.
    
    My pedi surprized me and said not to spend alot of money
    on special shoes, that hi top sneakers would do just fine.
    
    I had read alot to the contrary on this one.  But since
    we have hi tops for him already, I will try them out and
    he how he does.
    
    Linda

re: .13, .14, .15

I'd be careful about generalizing any of these individual pieces of advice.  
It could be that barefoot or generic sneakers are fine for kids with "normal" 
feet but that a specific kind, such as Stride Rite, is appropriate for kids 
with a specific type of foot makeup.  We never had problems with shoes for our 
daughter -- used generic shoes until she became fashion concious -- but our 
son had an unusually shaped foot, and Stride-Rites were the only ones that fit 
both his heel and his toes.  Also, I think as these notes point out, there is 
a difference of opinion among physicians as to what kind of shoes to use, if 
any.  I'd get my own ped's opinion.

Clay

    I suspect it doesn't make much difference, except if there is a
    specific orthopedic problem to be corrected.  It semed to me that a few
    million years of evolution looked favorably on bare feet.  A crawling
    baby doesn't need shoes for safety, as they put more weight on hands
    than feet.  And a learning-to-stand-and-walk baby would seem to benefit
    most from the traction and sensation made possible by bare feet.  But
    then Aaron had to wear orthopedic shoes, with rigid slippery leather
    soles; and the shoes didn't slow him down at all when he decided to
    stand.
    		- Bruce

    
    From what I have read, barefoot is preferred unless there is a problem
    with the feet. I think the arguments for barefoot are
    
    - better air circulation ;-)
    - better traction with the help of toes
    - help to develop the arch
    - more comfortable
    - cheapest option!
    
    Unless the kid really need them, the Stride Rite walkers are really
    very uncomfortable (they remind me of hiking boots!). I would opt 
    for softer shoes like Toddler University, BabyJaz or Kisco(sp).
    My kid never wear shoes inside the house because we don't. We walk
    around barefoot, in socks or slippers. 
    
    
    Eva.