Please pray for my bil and sil

My brother in law and sister in law were pg with me and miscarried.  My dd is now 14 months old.  Well they found out yesterday their baby has a club foot.  Now I'm not very educated in this department so I am hoping you all can help me.  She is 34 and he is 32.  They are going to St. Louis today for an amnio and some more testing.  Better machines and testing for Down's and what not.  I would love some advice or if anyone knows how likely it is the baby will have another abnormality.  Please say a prayer for our family.  Thanks to all in advance.

[firstbaby07]

I just wanted to tell you your family is in my prayers. I don't know anything about club foot but I did google it. This is what I read.
Parents know immediately if their newborn has a clubfoot. Some will even know before the child is born, if an ultrasound was done during the pregnancy. A clubfoot occurs in approximately one in every 1,000 births, with boys slightly outnumbering girls. One or both feet may be affected.
Cause
Doctors still aren't certain why it happens, though it can occur in some families with previous clubfeet. In fact, your baby's chance of having a clubfoot is twice as likely if you, your spouse or your other children also have it. Less severe infant foot problems are common and are often incorrectly called clubfoot.
The appearance is unmistakable: the foot is turned to the side and it may even appear that the top of the foot is where the bottom should be.

The involved foot, calf, and leg are smaller and shorter than the normal side.

It is not a painful condition. But if it is not treated, clubfoot will lead to significant discomfort and disability by the teenage years.

Treatment
Nonsurgical Treatment
Treatment should begin right away to have the best chance for a successful outcome without the need for surgery. Over the past 10 to 15 years, more and more success has been achieved in correcting clubfeet without the need for surgery. A particular method of stretching and casting, known as the Ponseti method, has been responsible for this. With this method, the doctor changes the cast every week for several weeks, always stretching the foot toward the correct position. The heel cord is then released followed by one more cast for three weeks.

Once the foot has been corrected, the infant must wear a brace at night for two years to maintain the correction. This has been extremely effective but requires the parents to actively participate in the daily care by applying the braces. Without the parents' participation, the clubfoot will almost certainly recur. That's because the muscles around the foot can pull it back into the abnormal position.

The goal of this, and any treatment program, is to make your newborn's clubfoot (or feet) functional, painless and stable by the time he or she is ready to walk. (Note: Anytime your baby wears a cast, watch for changes in skin color or temperature that may indicate problems with circulation.)

Surgical Treatment
On occasion, stretching, casting and bracing are not enough to correct your baby's clubfoot. Surgery may be needed to adjust the tendons, ligaments and joints in the foot/ankle. Usually done at 9 to12 months of age, surgery corrects all of your baby's clubfoot deformities at the same time. After surgery, a cast holds the clubfoot still while it heals. It's still possible for the muscles in your child's foot to try to return to the clubfoot position, and special shoes or braces will likely be used for up to a year or more after surgery. Surgery will likely result in a stiffer foot than nonsurgical treatment, particularly as the years pass by.

Without any treatment, your child's clubfoot will result in severe functional disability. With treatment, your child should have a nearly normal foot. He or she can run and play without pain and wear normal shoes. The corrected clubfoot will still not be perfect, however. You should expect it to stay 1 to 1 1/2 sizes smaller and somewhat less mobile than the normal foot. The calf muscles in your child's clubfoot leg will also stay smaller.


I read that info at http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00255

[pertykitty]

a friend of mine had a baby whos foot was turned inward.  he went through several surgeries, but is a happy healthy boy who can run and play like anyone else.  i know it must be devastating, and the surgeries will be scary, but this doesnt change it being a healthy baby! i hope all goes well.i dont think it means the chances are higher for more problems.  

[pertykitty]

i just saw your family pic, very cute, look at those curls!!

[anxiousmomtobe?]

My dh had a clubfoot.  He wore braces and had therapy.  Now he is perfectly healthy.

[wonderme]

Sounds like there is a lot they can do to help with the club foot -- I will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers.  Let us know how the follow up goes...

[toyml99]

thanks guys the scarey part is they are sending them for more test and waiting and worrying about any more problems.  

Perty....thanks......people ask all the time if they are natural....I'm like not i permed it.  Who would perm their babies hair...lol.  Crazy isn't it.  Well I do work at a beauty shop so I guess that's why they ask.

[tmv]

I babysit for a friend whose son was born with a very flaccid right club foot. The ultrasounds did not pick up on this. His foot was stretched and casted every week from week one. At 4 months, he had surgery to clip the heel tendon. Then, he wore a cast for 3 more weeks and went to a brace with the orthopedic shoes attached for 24/7. At 8 months, he was able to only wear the brace at naptimes and bedtime. Now 11 months old and you cannot tell he has had issues. He is very active and cruising the furniture. Walks behind push toys with only one hand on them! He's very healthy and does not have any other problems. The success depends on the time that the brace is left on, according to his specialist. And we kept it on all of the time as ordered, even though it was a struggle at times.

Just noticed where you live. I have a sister in O'fallon, MO. Probably not far from you. I need to get out there and see her soon. She's having struggles with mc's and tubal preg. She loves it there, been there for 1-1/2 yrs.

I'll def. say a prayer for them.

[pertykitty]

my son was born with a blond V in his hair in the back of his head. its not as pronounced as it was but i was always asked if i bleached it like that!!! people are stupid lol.  

[toyml99]

well my bil and sil have an appointment in an hour to find out their results

[tmv]

Let us know how it goes.Prayers to them.

[toyml99]

THE BABY HAS TWO CLUB FEET AND NO OTHER REASONS TO BELEIVE ANY DOWN'S OR ANY OTHER DEFORMATIES.  THANK GOD THE BABY IS OK.  THEY DIDN'T RECCOMEND THE AMNIO BUT MY BIL AND SIL ASKED FOR IT ANYWAYS TO BE SURE.  THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS.

[toyml99]

THE BABY HAS TWO CLUB FEET AND NO OTHER REASONS TO BELEIVE ANY DOWN'S OR ANY OTHER DEFORMATIES.  THANK GOD THE BABY IS OK.  THEY DIDN'T RECCOMEND THE AMNIO BUT MY BIL AND SIL ASKED FOR IT ANYWAYS TO BE SURE.  THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS.

[pertykitty]

both feet? my thoughts go to them , even though the baby will be healthy other than that, im sure it will be very hard to deal with surgeries and all that goes with it.  

[toyml99]

yes both feet but can be corrected with braces no surgies are the predicting.
thanks so much.

[K1990]

My mom worked with a man whose wife found out their baby had a club foot before birth and they had a few options and ended up braking it and casting it right after birth.  Good luck to them!

[Trialanderror]

Are your brother-in-law and sister-in-law having the child together or did you mean your brother and sister-in-law or vice versa? Since you asked about other abnormalities - I was just trying to figure out the genetics. I think I am confusing myself today - so either way, sorry to hear about the club foot. Hope they have all the surgical help close by to do the best for their child.

[Trudy80]

I get what you are saying but she can have a BIL & SIL....that would be her dh's brother or sister and their partner.

[maddysmommy]

My dh had a bad club foot...he had five surgeries, wore braces the whole nine yards as a kid..but his life was still perfectly normal..his foot was straightened when he was really young so his childhood was just wearing braces and a few surgeries here and there to keep it straight..but nothing serious...he had zero abnormalities aside from the foot..he's very intelligent...and when we did genetic testing for our child...there are no genetic markers...im sure he had them done when he was born..but he didnt remember and we couldnt find his records..but anyway...my opinion is that the parents can have genetic testing done now..and to wait for the baby to be born..it is what it is now...but its their choice..ill keep them in my prayers...and just remember there is light at the end of the tunnel...and a lot of times..this abnormalities are just isolated..best of luck to your family

[Trialanderror]

Oh, I didn`t know you count them as bil and sil as well. Sorry...
Either way, there are some statistics pointing out genetics as the main cause and if there is a combination of clubfoot among relatives plus the mother-to-be being exposed to cigarette smoke during the first 3 months, chances seem to increase that the gene with clubfoot potential gets activated. And apparently it is the right foot in most cases. Just some statistics.

[AMYCHRIS28]

My daughter was born with club foot on her right foot. We found out when she was first born, It was never picked up in  any sonogram and they told us that it could be genic or the way that she was laying inside me durning the prencency.When she was 4 days old they put her in a cast to slightly move her foot straight.They did that for about 3 months.Which didnt help her then they but her in a metal brace that held her feet apart and with open toed shoes that pushed her foot the opisite way.That also didnt work she then at the age 15 months had surgery to correct her foot.She learned to sit up and roll over and walk a little bit later then normal because of her braces and the casts but it was fine.After the surgery she still wore braces for awhile.When she started school she recieved PT because her right leg from her knee down was so thin and weeker then her

left foot and also her ankle was very week.Which is very common with the club foot.She is now 8 yrs old and she just got new braces for both feet because she has severe flat feet but it doesnt stop her at all.Her club foot is alot smaller then her normal foot which is common with club feet.It is alittle bit hard getting her shoes because we buy two different sizes.Make sure that she or he always have good shoes on to support her feet.My daughter very rarely wears pretty shoes and sandles because of her foot.And she does have a hard time walking for long distances.Make sure that if you do not like the out come of your DR. opionion you get a second opionion.we did plently of times.

When she was born i cried knowing that she had club foot.People would ask if she broke her leg when she was first born because she had a cast on.People also looked at me differently.I cried everytime they would do something with her foot.My mother always said to thank god that she only had club foot and nothing else.

You will get through this.
Thank you for allowing me to help.