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.

Be Part of the Solution

Stories from Our Families

Trying Something Different

Trying Something Different

Aug 18, 2025

Imran in Burkina Faso When Imran was born with severely twisted feet, his mother, Rihanatou, could only weep. “Why this pain?” she cried, heartbroken over her son’s future. Though they started treatment at a local hospital, 11 casts later, there was no improvement....

From Brokeness to New Life

From Brokeness to New Life

Aug 15, 2025

Frunk in Burundi When baby Frunk was born with clubfoot, her arrival should have been met with joy. Instead, her father walked away—leaving her mother, Jeanne, alone to raise four children. Some relatives and neighbors whispered cruel lies, accusing Jeanne of...

A mother’s cry

A mother’s cry

Aug 5, 2025

Samuel in Mozambique When Marta first held her newborn son, Samuel, her joy was quickly replaced by heartbreak. A nurse gently told her that Samuel had been born with a foot deformity. Tears streamed down her face as she cried out to God, “Why is this happening to...