For Parents

 

Clubfoot information

What is clubfoot?

Clubfoot is a deformity present at birth that twists the foot downward and inward, making walking difficult or impossible. While it cannot be prevented, it can be corrected using a relatively inexpensive treatment process called the Ponseti method.

Read more about Clubfoot

Can it be treated?

Yes, clubfoot can be treated! We adhere to treatment through the Ponseti method, the gold standard of clubfoot treatment. The treatment phase involves weekly casting for four to eight weeks and, in most cases, a minimally-invasive outpatient procedure to lengthen the Achilles tendon, called a tenotomy. After this, in the maintenance phase, children wear a foot abduction brace for 23 hours a day for three months, and then at night and nap time until the age of five. Children born with clubfoot can take their first steps on completely straight feet thanks to early intervention and to this relatively simple, cost-effective treatment method.

Where can I get help?

We currently operate partner clubfoot clinics in 16 countries in Africa and Latin America. Click the “find a clinic” button below to see if there is a Hope Walks partner clubfoot clinic near you. If not, please contact us and we’ll do our best to refer you to someone who can help.

Find a Clinic

Parent Education Tool

A guide for parents of children with clubfoot. Download in your language.

English
Amharic
Chinchewa
Creole
French
Kinyarwanda
Kirundi
Portuguese
Spanish
Swahili

Video Resources

Hope Walks has been working in partnership with Medical Aid Films to create four films about clubfoot and the Ponseti method of treatment. These films are used to train parent advisors, as well as an educational tool for parents. Videos (with and without English/French subtitles) are available for streaming or download by clicking the images below. Currently the videos are in English, French and Portuguese. Within the next few weeks, Spanish, Amharic and Kinyarwanda translations will be available.

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Stories from Our Families

Every Visit, One Step Closer 

Every Visit, One Step Closer 

Aug 13, 2026

Olga in Rwanda Olga was just three weeks old when hospital staff told her parents, Esther and Umukunzi, that their newborn daughter had clubfoot. The news came with reassurance: clubfoot is treatable. The family was referred right away to a Hope Walks-supported...

Joyfully Unrecognizable

Joyfully Unrecognizable

Jul 20, 2026

Prisca in Malawi The community mocked baby Prisca and her family when she was born very small and with a deformity in her feet. Her mother, Annie, wasn’t even able to visit friends because of the torment she received, becoming a prisoner in her own home. Luckily, a...

Hope Passed Down through Generations

Hope Passed Down through Generations

Jul 20, 2026

Luena in Mozambique When Luena was born in Mozambique with clubfoot, her family immediately recognized the condition. Years earlier, one of Luena’s aunts had also been born with clubfoot—but at a time when treatment simply wasn’t available. She grew up living with the...