Baby's feet turning inwards? - What you need to know about talipes
Talipes (or the old school name 'clubfoot') is an condition that shows up as turning inwards and downwards of one or both feet of a new born baby. There are two main catagories of this:
Positional - 16 in 1000 babies and is caused by less space in the womb and usually corrects itself.
Structural - 1 or 2 in 1000 babies which is a congenital condition. This is how the bones are formed and won't correct on their own.
How do you know which one your baby has?
Go and see a paediatric physiotherapist, a paediatrician or your GP
Can you correct the position yourself? If you can move the foot to the desired position (even if it doesn't stay there) then its more likely to be positional. If the foot is very stiff and it will not go into a desired position it could be structural
Does the foot appear painful to move?
What could you do to help?
Make sure your baby has lots of room to move around and kick freely
Make sure clothes aren't too tight around babies feet so they can move them around
Complete some gentle exercises with your baby to encourage the movement up and out with their feet. The best way to find the one most suitable for your baby is to see a paediatric physiotherapist like our amazing Kate!
If you're unsure if your baby has tallipes - why not get booked in today!
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