RE: NEW TO THIS GROUP, BUT HAVE A QUESTION A BOUT BRACES.

[Guest guest]

Hi and welcome to the group.

I know lots of members in this group have gone through similar issues with

their children's braces. Most of us have used what is called the DBB or FAB

(Dennis-Browne Bar or Foot Abduction Bar). It seems that when clubfoot

babies leave the casts and migrate to the bar, it is always a traumatic and

sometimes unbearable transition for the first 2 to 3 days. A lot of crying,

fidgeting, and uncomfortableness is experienced. But after a few days it

seems to subside and the baby accepts it and learns how to move with it. At

the same time, the shoes on the bar are becoming broken in and becoming more

comfortable. However, if after a few days there is still a lot of

resistance, pain, and crying from your baby, there may be other

complications. This could be anything from abnormal swelling to an

incorrect angle on the shoes.

If you think there is anything wrong with the brace, it wouldn't hurt to

call your doctor and make an appointment to have it and your child's feet

checked out.

I'm not sure how many hours per day your daughter is supposed to wear the

brace, but most of the babies treated with the Ponseti method wear the brace

for 23 hours a day after the final cast for about 3 months. I would suggest

putting the brace on and comforting your child a lot. If you have anyone

who could help, it will be a lot easier. Also, try to keep your child

distracted an entertained. You could also place the braces on when she is

sleeping. That way she gets hours of wear and probably doesn't even realize

it.

As for a one-shoe brace, I don't think one exists because there has to be a

counter-force to prevent the foot from freely moving in any direction. Even

if there were some type of brace out there to do this, your daughter would

probably still not accept it initially.

Good luck.

.Trenton (8-24-00, bilateral CF)

NEW TO THIS GROUP, BUT HAVE A QUESTION

ABOUT BRACES.

HELLO MY NAME IS JENNIFER, MY DAUGHTER AMANDA WAS BORN WITH

ARTHROGRYPOSIS, AND CLUBFOOT. ONLY HER LEFT FOOT WAS EFFECTED, AND

SEEMS VERY MILD. SHE WAS 8WEEKS OLD WHEN WE GOT OUR FIRST CAST, SHE

DID VERY WELL THRU ALL SIX WEEKS OF CASTS, THEN THE DOCTOR DID A HEAL

CORD RELEASE, THREE MORE WEEKS IN A CAST THEN ABOUT A MONTH AGO SHE

WAS FITTED FOR THIS BRACE THING... IT HAS A BAR RUNNING BETWEEN HER

FEET AND OPEN TOED SHOES. SHE HATES IT! I DONT HAVE IT ON HER MORE

THAN 20MINUTES AND SHE IS SCREAMING. I FEEL AS THOUGH I HAVE BEEN

STUMBLING THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS, I WAS LUCKY TO GET A VERY GOOD

DOCTOR HERE IN EUGENE. I DONT KNOW WHAT THIS TREATMENT IS CALLED AND

I DONT KNOW WHAT THIS BRACE IS CALLED, BUT I KNOW ITS NOT WORKING FOR

US, AMANDA IS NOW 5MONTHS OLD AND WILL NOT TOLLERATE HER FEET BEING

BRACED TOGETHER, HAS ANYONE SEEN OR HEARD OF A BRACE OR SHOE FOR JUST

ONE FOOT? AMANDA HAS A LIMITATION IN HER ARMS SO THAT MAY BE PART OF

WHY SHE HATES THE BRACE ON HER FEET.