Kids' Health Special Needs Health Issues Photos of Babies with a Clubfoot Club Foot Basics By Vincent Iannelli, MD Updated on March 03, 2022 Medically reviewed by Daniel Combs, MD Print Clubfoot is a common disorder in which one or both of a baby's feet are turned inward and downward and can't easily be moved into a normal position. It is much more common for a baby to have a foot turned inward due to positioning, but these feet are very flexible and can easily be straightened with gentle manipulation. Newborns with a club foot are often treated with bracing, physical therapy, casting, or surgery. 1 Baby With Clubfoot Vincent Iannelli, MD This is a photo of a newborn baby with a clubfoot. Although you can't tell from this photo, both feet are affected by the clubfoot deformity, causing them to turn inward and downward. 2 Baby with Clubfeet Vincent Iannelli, MD In this photo, you can see a newborn baby in the NICU with bilateral clubfoot. You can tell it is a bilateral clubfoot both since both feet are turned inward and downward. 3 Club Foot Casting Treatment Vincent Iannelli, MD This photo shows a two-month-old infant in casts to treat their bilateral clubfoot deformity. 4 Casting for Club Foot Using the Ponseti method, the clubfoot is manipulated or stretched every five to seven days and the plaster casts are changed. This baby is on one of his last treatments for his clubfeet and will then wear a brace for a few years. An alternative to serial casting is a specialized physical therapy treatment program, in which your child undergoes daily stretching and has their clubfoot taped by a physical therapist. Once you are trained and ready, you can begin taping your child's foot at home. When non-surgical treatments with casting and taping don't work, surgery is sometimes necessary to correct the clubfoot. 5 Clubfoot Treatment 'After' Photo Vincent Iannelli, MD This is a photo of an infant with bilateral clubfeet who has just had several months of casting treatment using the Ponseti method. He will still have to undergo daily bracing for most of the day for many months, but his feet look great! In addition to his clubfoot, you can see that he has also developed an umbilical hernia. Unlike clubfoot, umbilical hernias typically go away on their own and do not need any treatment. 6 Bracing Bar for Clubfoot Vincent Iannelli, MD This is a photo of an infant in a Denis Browne bracing bar after undergoing months of casting using the Ponseti method as a treatment for his bilateral club feet. This child will have to wear the bracing bar for 23 hours a day for about three months and then only at night for two to four years. 2 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Owen RM, Capper B, Lavy C. Clubfoot treatment in 2015: a global perspective. BMJ Glob Health. 2018;3(4):e000852. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2018-000852 Radler C. The Ponseti method for the treatment of congenital club foot: review of the current literature and treatment recommendations. Int Orthop. 2013;37(9):1747-53. doi:10.1007/s00264-013-2031-1 Additional Reading Desai L, Oprescu F, Dimeo A, Morcuende JA. Bracing in the treatment of children with clubfoot: past, present, and future. Iowa Orthop J. 2010;30:15-23. By Vincent Iannelli, MD Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit