[Health Tip] Our Baby's Foot Curved Like a Golf Club... Early Diagnosis and Treatment of 'Congenital Talipes' Are Important

Occurs in 1-2 out of 1000 newborns
Early detection possible with ultrasound examination
Treatment within 3 days of birth improves prognosis

Professor Kim Yumin of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital is confirming fetal congenital clubfoot through ultrasound examination.
[Photo by Chung-Ang University Medical Center]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] If a newborn baby's foot is bent like a golf club, parents would inevitably be shocked. However, such foot deformities are more common than expected. Recently, with advances in diagnostic technology, it is possible to detect them through ultrasound examinations even before birth, and early treatment leads to a good prognosis. The important factor is timing. The earlier the detection and treatment, the less impact it has on the child's growth.

Foot deformities where the baby's foot is turned inward from birth, the heel is raised, and the front end of the foot is bent inward are called 'congenital clubfoot' or 'congenital talipes equinovarus.' Congenital clubfoot is surprisingly common, with the medical community reporting it occurs in about 1 to 2 out of every 1,000 newborns. It is more frequent in male babies than in female babies.

However, the actual incidence rate is likely higher. According to Chung-Ang University Hospital, among newborns delivered at the hospital's obstetrics department from 2018 to this year, 2.7% were diagnosed with congenital clubfoot. This is more than ten times higher than the general incidence rate, suggesting that many cases are missed early on, resulting in delayed treatment.

Professor Kim Yu-min of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital explained, “Congenital clubfoot can occur due to abnormal fetal positioning in the mother's womb, neuromuscular abnormalities, or genetic factors. Recently, with advances in diagnostic technologies such as ultrasound, it is possible not only to diagnose congenital clubfoot but also to predict the treatment prognosis before birth.”

Before (above) and after treatment images of a patient with congenital clubfoot.
[Photo by Chung-Ang University Hospital]

When diagnosed with congenital clubfoot, it is essential to seek an experienced pediatric orthopedic specialist for an accurate diagnosis and early treatment. First, babies diagnosed with congenital clubfoot at birth need to have the cause precisely identified and begin treatment immediately after birth.

Professor Inami of the Department of Pediatrics at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital said, “Among patients diagnosed with congenital clubfoot during prenatal screening, some have other accompanying deformities, and there are cases with musculoskeletal disorders as well as feeding difficulties, so many require admission to the neonatal intensive care unit for necessary examinations. Knowing about congenital clubfoot from prenatal screening and immediately admitting the newborn to the NICU for necessary tests and starting treatment within three days of birth greatly helps the prognosis.”

In particular, for idiopathic clubfoot where there is an abnormality in the bone itself, the 'Ponseti manual method' and 'plaster cast correction method' are applied weekly to gradually realign the misaligned foot joints to their normal shape. Professor Choi In-ho of the Department of Pediatric Orthopedics at Chung-Ang University Hospital emphasized, “Even with Ponseti treatment, about 20% of patients have severe deformities requiring surgical treatment. It is important to pay attention to whether the baby has congenital clubfoot through prenatal ultrasound examinations and to receive early treatment from a specialist.”