Baby's ankle is inverted

Some mothers find that there is something wrong with the shape of their baby's feet after giving birth. They wonder if it is because the baby is held in the mother's belly, causing the feet to turn inward. Most cases of inversion (varus) of the foot are caused by the fetus's foot being pressed in the mother's womb and being in an abnormal posture, but genetic factors are not ruled out. If this ankle deformity is formed in the womb, it can be restored to normal if it is corrected early after birth.

1. What is inversion of the foot

Inversion of the foot is caused by developmental disorders of the tendons and ligaments of the foot, which causes the ankle joint to twist inward into a horseshoe shape. It can occur on one or both feet, but most babies affected are boys.

2. Causes of inversion of the foot

There are two types of congenital equinus deformity, namely intrinsic and extrinsic. The exogenous type is mostly caused by abnormal fetal position in the uterus. This type of child does not have obvious severe soft tissue shortening after birth and is relatively easy to correct. The endogenous type often has similar patients in the family and is an autosomal dominant genetic disease. This type of deformity is severe and rigid, with abnormal bone alignment.

3. Symptoms of inversion of the foot

The forefoot is broad and thick and adducted, the toes are curled, the heel bone is narrow and rolled inward, the foot is drooping and hollow, etc. Muscle atrophy leads to imperfect foot movement function. When standing, the main force is applied on the middle and outer sides of the dorsum of the foot, which puts a heavy burden on this area.

4. How to treat inversion of the foot

1. Most children have mild cases, and the deformity and abnormal posture of the feet can be easily restored after delivery. No treatment is required, and the prognosis is very good. In severe cases, if the patient is fixed in an abnormal posture, it will hinder walking. The best time to treat it is soon after birth. For babies under one year old, if the clubfoot is not very serious, foot massage can be done to correct it. In addition, massage correction can be assisted by plaster. The baby's feet and calves can be kept in plaster for 5-7 days. To ensure the position of the little feet. To completely correct the foot, doctors usually cut the Achilles tendon, a minor procedure performed under local anesthesia and taking only ten minutes. When the last cast is removed, you can 2. Put a brace on your baby and wear it for three months, 23 hours a day.

Treatment should be started as soon as possible after birth. Manual correction is suitable for the neonatal period. The manual correction operation should be gentle. One hand fixes the heel and the other hand corrects the adduction of the forefoot. Then correct the inversion and equinus in turn. After correction, use tape to fix and maintain the corrected position. The base of the toes and forefoot should be padded, and the heel, inner ankle and knee joints should also be protected. Treatment takes about 6 to 10 weeks. After manual correction, infants over 6 months old can be fixed in the corrected position with a long leg plaster. Change the plaster once a month, which takes about 9 to 12 months. When using plaster fixation, care should be taken to prevent compression and blood circulation obstruction. When the child walks, the outer side of the heel should be raised by about 0.5 cm to consolidate the therapeutic effect.