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

The Last Laugh

The Last Laugh

Jan 28, 2022

Jayden in Kenya It’s hard enough having a child born with a birth defect. It is even harder when your friends tell you there is nothing that can be done and even laugh at the situation. This is what Fred and Sharon experienced when Jayden was born with clubfoot in...

Hope and healing

Hope and healing

Jan 28, 2022

Alain in Rwanda Nobody wants to be rejected by those closest to them. But, this is the reality for many families of children with clubfoot. Family and community members feared Alain and his family, calling clubfoot a curse. They believed association, let alone looking...

Looking at the heart

Looking at the heart

Jan 3, 2022

Boaz in Burundi Faced with the double calamity of having a very ill wife and a son born with clubfoot, Christopher wasn’t sure where to turn. His neighbors mocked him because of his Boaz's deformity. They also believed the illness of his wife Fabiola was further...