Guest guest Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 Oh thank goodness you caught this while you had time to fix it! Welcome to our group, so glad to have another new member! It will be kind of rough for your child to adapt to the DBB at this age, but I cannot stress strongly enough how necessary it is that you insist he wear it. It may even be harder on you than him, so be strong!!! Three months will seem like hell but it will actually pas quicker than you anticipate right now. No - there is not an alternative brace for the foot. The DBB bar holds the foot at the proper angle by bracing it against the other foot wtih the bar. A single-foot brace of some variety would not accomplish this, it wouldn't hold the foot at the right angle. Just be tough and stick it out. As you begin the use of the DBB, perhaps make one up to fit one or two of his favorite toy animals/dolls so they can all begin to wear it at once, make it fun some how. Also be on hand to do a lot of holding and comforting, have some children's tylanol/motrin on hand, maybe even some benedryl although not all parents agree with giving a baby a little seditive once in a while I am not one of them. They suffer anxiety and stress same as adults do, maybe worse cuz they can't express nor understand as much. Don't be surprised if in a week or so he learns how to crawl, stand, cruise, etc., while wearing the DBB. Just love him and encourage him and comfort him as he makes the adjustment! Good luck, and if you have issues, there is a huge tips sheet full of wonderful, proven suggestions to help fix or avoid problems in the files section. ee, mother of two bcf boys: - NON Ponseti Method Club Foot Disaster Everett - Dr. Ponseti Success Story New Here.. DBB question My son was born with unilateral cf in Dec. 2003. I'm sorry to say that at that time we were not aware of the Ponseti method of treatment. We saw a local orthopedic surgeon whom casted my son for three months and then gave us instructions to return for a follow up at a year of age. He never went into any type of brace. When my son started walking at 12 months we noticed he was walking on the outside of his foot and were referred to another doctor. Thank goodness we found our new doctor! He took x-rays and informed us that our son still had complete club foot. He was sceptical about trying the Ponseti Method of casting due to my sons age. He's 14 months old now. I'm happy to report that it has been working beautifully. He gets his last cast off on Monday. My BIG concern is the DBB. My son has been walking for 3 months now. He even managed to walk with his cast on. The doctor told us he will need to be in the DBB 24/7 for some time. Has anyone had experience with an older child or walker in the DBB? I'm so nervous about how he's going to react. Is the DBB always used for unilateral club foot? Is there any other type of brace that would allow a child to walk? I have so many questions and I'm so glad I found this group. Thank you in advance for any help you can offer. Anne & Ian (unilateral cf 12/1/03) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 Another suggestion would be to e-mail Dr Ponseti and tell him your son's sittuation. He has always said that walking is just as important to keeping the foot corrected as the brace it. He might suggest using it only 20 hours ... maybe see if your doctor could contact him about it. He is always happy to consult. ANgel New Here.. DBB question My son was born with unilateral cf in Dec. 2003. I'm sorry to say that at that time we were not aware of the Ponseti method of treatment. We saw a local orthopedic surgeon whom casted my son for three months and then gave us instructions to return for a follow up at a year of age. He never went into any type of brace. When my son started walking at 12 months we noticed he was walking on the outside of his foot and were referred to another doctor. Thank goodness we found our new doctor! He took x-rays and informed us that our son still had complete club foot. He was sceptical about trying the Ponseti Method of casting due to my sons age. He's 14 months old now. I'm happy to report that it has been working beautifully. He gets his last cast off on Monday. My BIG concern is the DBB. My son has been walking for 3 months now. He even managed to walk with his cast on. The doctor told us he will need to be in the DBB 24/7 for some time. Has anyone had experience with an older child or walker in the DBB? I'm so nervous about how he's going to react. Is the DBB always used for unilateral club foot? Is there any other type of brace that would allow a child to walk? I have so many questions and I'm so glad I found this group. Thank you in advance for any help you can offer. Anne & Ian (unilateral cf 12/1/03) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 My daughter Kelsey was 12 months old when she began wearing the DBB 23/7. I also questioned this because she had just begun to walk some even with her cast. Our Doctor and Dr. Ponseti told me that it was essential for her to still wear it 23/7 for 3 months although I do know that some older children have been given shorter periods of time in the DBB even by Dr. POnseti but Kelsey was not one of them. THe 3 months in the brace were difficult but she adapted pretty well and although at the time the 3 months seemed like an eternity, I am so glad we persevered because she now has a perfect foot. She also has a unilateral club foot as well. We did have a few bouts of temper and attitude from Kelsey over wearing the brace but we made it through. Our hours were reduced at the end of February and she is now 16 months old and back to taking those tentative steps. Good luck to you. doulagal2002 wrote: > >My son was born with unilateral cf in Dec. 2003. I'm sorry to say >that at that time we were not aware of the Ponseti method of >treatment. We saw a local orthopedic surgeon whom casted my son for >three months and then gave us instructions to return for a follow up >at a year of age. He never went into any type of brace. When my son >started walking at 12 months we noticed he was walking on the >outside of his foot and were referred to another doctor. Thank >goodness we found our new doctor! He took x-rays and informed us >that our son still had complete club foot. He was sceptical about >trying the Ponseti Method of casting due to my sons age. He's 14 >months old now. I'm happy to report that it has been working >beautifully. He gets his last cast off on Monday. My BIG concern >is the DBB. My son has been walking for 3 months now. He even >managed to walk with his cast on. The doctor told us he will need >to be in the DBB 24/7 for some time. Has anyone had experience with >an older child or walker in the DBB? I'm so nervous about how he's >going to react. Is the DBB always used for unilateral club foot? >Is there any other type of brace that would allow a child to walk? >I have so many questions and I'm so glad I found this group. Thank >you in advance for any help you can offer. > >Anne & Ian (unilateral cf 12/1/03) > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 Hi Ann, Welcome, You will get a lot of great advise from many of the parents here who have had their older children in the brace for full time wear. I will say that it will go by so fast and that 3 mo's is NOTHING in the scheme of things!! I remember thinking the same thing...it's only her one foot, why does she have to wear this damn contraption!! It is the same for bilateral and unilateral cf, the affected foot needs to be held at a 70* angle to maintain the correction. The foot will tend to regress to the tightened positon unless it is manipulated otherwise. We were lucky and totally fell into the best care we could have found, Dr. Pirani, a highly skilled orthopediac surgeon, one of a few doctors practicing the Ponseti menthod in Canada (mind you, this is changing...every time we have been there he has been training someone, from Africa, England, Canada the US etc etc. It is truly exciting! At our appt when we went from 23/7 to 16/7 (after 3 mo's) he asked us if we would mind showing Grace's foot to a teenaged girl and her mother that were there in an adjoining area, we said of course. When I brought Grace over, he showed her foot to the girl and her mother and apologized (almost teary!!) that he did not know of the Ponseti method in time to save her from the scarring in her foot. I knew then that we had really found the absolute best care for our daughter. It's funny, I have always felt that a nurse's rec. is a good thing...we had at least 5 nurses tell us that Dr. Pirani was " the best around " ...from personal experience, I really trust nurses to give the 'low down' when it comes to a doctor...I was amazed at the almost reverent tones used to describe Dr. Pirani! And found out first hand why! Happy to have you here and hope Ian can be casted and perscribed the brace to correct his foot!! Many many kids have been casted who were older than Ian with sucessfull results. & Grace 07-21-04 Right unilateral cf FAB 16/7 > > > > >My son was born with unilateral cf in Dec. 2003. I'm sorry to say > >that at that time we were not aware of the Ponseti method of > >treatment. We saw a local orthopedic surgeon whom casted my son for > >three months and then gave us instructions to return for a follow up > >at a year of age. He never went into any type of brace. When my son > >started walking at 12 months we noticed he was walking on the > >outside of his foot and were referred to another doctor. Thank > >goodness we found our new doctor! He took x-rays and informed us > >that our son still had complete club foot. He was sceptical about > >trying the Ponseti Method of casting due to my sons age. He's 14 > >months old now. I'm happy to report that it has been working > >beautifully. He gets his last cast off on Monday. My BIG concern > >is the DBB. My son has been walking for 3 months now. He even > >managed to walk with his cast on. The doctor told us he will need > >to be in the DBB 24/7 for some time. Has anyone had experience with > >an older child or walker in the DBB? I'm so nervous about how he's > >going to react. Is the DBB always used for unilateral club foot? > >Is there any other type of brace that would allow a child to walk? > >I have so many questions and I'm so glad I found this group. Thank > >you in advance for any help you can offer. > > > >Anne & Ian (unilateral cf 12/1/03) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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