This article discusses some common newborn baby foot problems. It will also help you understand how these problems may affect your baby and how they are treated.
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Clubfoot doesn’t cause your baby pain. Still, it can cause long-term problems, affecting their ability to walk. When clubfoot is properly treated with stretching exercises, casts, and/or surgery, the deformity can often be corrected in early childhood.
Mild cases often resolve on their own, but more severe cases may need casts, splints, or corrective shoes. Surgery is rarely needed for metatarsus adductus.
The treatment of polydactyly of the foot depends on where and how the extra toe or toes are connected. If there’s no bone and the toe is poorly formed, a clip can be put on it to stop blood flow, which will cause it to fall off.
Better-formed toes are surgically removed once your baby is about 1 year old, before they begin to walk.
The treatment for vertical talus is similar to the treatment for clubfoot, using stretching exercises, casts, and, if necessary, surgery.
The treatment of a curly toe deformity is to cut the tendon on the bottom of the toe to relieve the stress causing the rotation. This is usually not done until your child is at least 6 years old, since it may go away by itself.
In other children, an overlapping toe can create difficulties with footwear. It may require a surgical procedure to correct the deformity.
Your baby’s healthcare provider can help you decide the best way to treat your baby’s foot problems.
