How long should my son wear his shoes?

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I am a new member and wish I'd discovered you all when my son was

born 2 years ago! He got very good care using the Ponsetti method

and is progressing well. But we really felt alone as we stumbled

through the difficulty of his discomfort with casts and shoes. Now

he wears the shoes when he sleeps at night and putting them on is

just a normal part of the getting ready for bed process.

But I have some questions and concerns that I think only parents who

have gone through this can really answer.

How long are your children wearing the shoes? My son's treating

doctor says to stop at age 2. She uses the Ponsetti method but

disagrees with what I believe is Ponsetti's advice that children

should wear the shoes until age 4 or 5. We did see another dr. who

is Ponsetti certified and he says that the standard age to stop is

4. I just cannot imagine my son wearing these for another 2 years.

My other question is about development. never crawled,

though he started to walk at 14 months. He seems just fine now,

though he is not as fluid in his movement as other children his age.

He is very cautious by nature, so I'm not sure how much of this is

due to him being who he is or if the shoes have something to do with

it.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Beth

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I am a new member and wish I'd discovered you all when my son was

born 2 years ago! He got very good care using the Ponsetti method

and is progressing well. But we really felt alone as we stumbled

through the difficulty of his discomfort with casts and shoes. Now

he wears the shoes when he sleeps at night and putting them on is

just a normal part of the getting ready for bed process.

But I have some questions and concerns that I think only parents who

have gone through this can really answer.

How long are your children wearing the shoes? My son's treating

doctor says to stop at age 2. She uses the Ponsetti method but

disagrees with what I believe is Ponsetti's advice that children

should wear the shoes until age 4 or 5. We did see another dr. who

is Ponsetti certified and he says that the standard age to stop is

4. I just cannot imagine my son wearing these for another 2 years.

My other question is about development. never crawled,

though he started to walk at 14 months. He seems just fine now,

though he is not as fluid in his movement as other children his age.

He is very cautious by nature, so I'm not sure how much of this is

due to him being who he is or if the shoes have something to do with

it.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Beth

[Guest guest]

Hi Beth,

Please do NOT take your doctor's advice and stop wearing the shoes at 2

years old. We did and have lived to regret it. My daughter, Olivia

(unilateral left clubfoot), relapsed at 2.5 years old. She was recorrected

with one two week cast (by Dr. Ponseti), but then she was back in the shoes

sixteen hours a day for the next year. We are back down to 10-12 overnight

now, but since she cannot afford another relapse she will most definitely be

in the shoes until she is 5. Livie will be turning 4 years old on October

18 and had we not listened to the bad advice of her local doctor, she would

be looking forward to ending brace wear in another few weeks. Instead she

is looking at least another year.

There is a major growth spurt at around 2.5 years old that will almost

certainly cause (love that name by the way!) to relapse at least to

some degree if he is not consistently wearing the brace when that happens.

Dr. Ponseti has had fifty years of experience to develop this method. It

annoys me that doctors who are new to the method disagree with the protocol.

I would question your doctor how many kids she has had reach the two year

mark, how many have been released at that age, and how many have relapsed.

I would suspect she hasn't been using the method long enough to see the

results of way too many relapses with her modifications.

I know that two more years seems like a long time. Believe me, when we were

given the chance to discard that brace, we jumped on it. But it could not

have been more not worth it. I wish with all my heart that we had continued

with the brace from the beginning. Livie would have avoided more casting,

in addition to the fact that her foot was not able to be corrected back to

it's original flexibility. She does fine now and has a fully functional

foot, but it is not and will never be as well corrected as it was when we

stopped using the brace.

I have vowed to make her wear the brace until she is 16 if that is what Dr.

Ponseti believes will keep her from relapsing again!

Hope our story helps you and good luck!

Jen & Livie (10-18-01 severe left clubfoot)

How long should my son wear his shoes?

Hello,

I am a new member and wish I'd discovered you all when my son was

born 2 years ago! He got very good care using the Ponsetti method

and is progressing well. But we really felt alone as we stumbled

through the difficulty of his discomfort with casts and shoes. Now

he wears the shoes when he sleeps at night and putting them on is

just a normal part of the getting ready for bed process.

But I have some questions and concerns that I think only parents who

have gone through this can really answer.

How long are your children wearing the shoes? My son's treating

doctor says to stop at age 2. She uses the Ponsetti method but

disagrees with what I believe is Ponsetti's advice that children

should wear the shoes until age 4 or 5. We did see another dr. who

is Ponsetti certified and he says that the standard age to stop is

4. I just cannot imagine my son wearing these for another 2 years.

My other question is about development. never crawled,

though he started to walk at 14 months. He seems just fine now,

though he is not as fluid in his movement as other children his age.

He is very cautious by nature, so I'm not sure how much of this is

due to him being who he is or if the shoes have something to do with

it.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Beth

[Guest guest]

hear hear!!! EXACTLY what Jen said. It's not worth it. Just keep

up, he won't know the difference. Only you will, and as you

said... he's so used to it that it's part of bedtime. That's how it

should be. Additionally, if you started late with all this, all the

more that you should NOT listen to that doc and prove her wrong. Her

other patients will surely come up with some relapses, and that's

very sad for them but you won't regret bracing longer and your son

will be the proof. Just think... you're halfway done! (if he was

braced from birth that is, even if not... still only half the total time left!)

As to his walking... some children are just like that. I doubt it's

because of the brace. I would hazard a guess that it's just the way

he is and he'll become more sure footed soon. My first son was kinda

like that... he was falling all over the place during his 2nd year

(walked at 11mo's) and then boom... he was fine. But he IS kinda

unsure about some thing still, very cautious sometimes. Daddy took

them to the woods this last weekend and Kento was all worried about

where he was stepping and stickers and such... His little brother on

the other hand... a big *jump right in with both feet* kinda guy 2y

younger than Kento, was tearing through it like it was pavement. Two

totally different kids. Darbi is much the same way as her wild

brother, and she's worn this brace a lot by now. She's 2.5 and still

wears it 12-14hr/d and will till she's at LEAST 3, if not

3-1/2. Probably 3-1/2 because as we get closer to 3 I'm fearful of

actually discarding it so I will very likely go the whole way. She

was considered mild... or I'd be thinking 4yo but I feel pretty

confident that 3.5 will be enough for her. Whatever the case... I

absolutely would not discard at 2 or 2.5. I do not want to take any

chances, and with the docs here being so lousy... well she's going to

need all she can get to not have to go back to them with relapse and

be told ATTT. She was told (well I was told...) that she could stop

wearing it at 17mo's... I looked him in the eye and told him I wanted

her to wear it till at least 3yo... his response was, " does she need

new shoes? " LOL... I think he knew I meant BUSINESS and wasn't

going to take that crap hehe...

Poor Olivia is our shining example of a little one who ended up being

braced 16hr/d at the elderly age of 3 so please take heed of the

warning. That's just too long for a 3yo (although totally doable) to

have to wear the brace. It's way more fair to him to brace him at

night through the 3rd and 4th year than to ask him to do long hours

at an older age.

Do you do naps too? If so, maybe you might want to try doing the

whole thing at one stretch? That way, he can sleep as long as

possible and if you're home with him (even if you're not) he can sit

in his highchair and eat some breakfast and snacks while finishing up

the hours in the am. Darbi does this, and since we got the PM's she

even keeps her shoes on till 1am sometimes! She WAS untying the

Markells but she can't get out of the PM's! I love that! She does

fine in the am crawling around the house and getting UP and ONTO

everything. This morning, at the boy's school she managed to climb

onto a chair and get the change jar (we have to pay downtown parking

at the school, so there's change available to parents in the

office). I had no idea she was up there behind me, the counter is

very high and no way could she have got that jar from the ground. It

spilled, she cried... we picked it all up. lol... but my point is

that I do all my errands in the am with her wearing her shoes in the

car. We drive the boys to school and there's an hour right there

that she wears them. What else would she do during that time?? She

just sits in her carseat and gets her hours in. If you work, you can

do the same. Just take him to daycare with the brace on and tell

them when it's ok to take it off. Big deal... just remember to take

him some shoes lol! I got the bright idea to drop Darbi off this

morning at my parents for a few hours but didn't think of it till

after I dropped the boys off... she went but had no shoes. LOL, she lived.

HTH and it's great to hear another success story!

Kori

At 04:36 PM 9/21/2005, you wrote:

>Hi Beth,

>

>Please do NOT take your doctor's advice and stop wearing the shoes at 2

>years old. We did and have lived to regret it. My daughter, Olivia

>(unilateral left clubfoot), relapsed at 2.5 years old. She was recorrected

>with one two week cast (by Dr. Ponseti), but then she was back in the shoes

>sixteen hours a day for the next year. We are back down to 10-12 overnight

>now, but since she cannot afford another relapse she will most definitely be

>in the shoes until she is 5. Livie will be turning 4 years old on October

>18 and had we not listened to the bad advice of her local doctor, she would

>be looking forward to ending brace wear in another few weeks. Instead she

>is looking at least another year.

>

>There is a major growth spurt at around 2.5 years old that will almost

>certainly cause (love that name by the way!) to relapse at least to

>some degree if he is not consistently wearing the brace when that happens.

>Dr. Ponseti has had fifty years of experience to develop this method. It

>annoys me that doctors who are new to the method disagree with the protocol.

>I would question your doctor how many kids she has had reach the two year

>mark, how many have been released at that age, and how many have relapsed.

>I would suspect she hasn't been using the method long enough to see the

>results of way too many relapses with her modifications.

>

>I know that two more years seems like a long time. Believe me, when we were

>given the chance to discard that brace, we jumped on it. But it could not

>have been more not worth it. I wish with all my heart that we had continued

>with the brace from the beginning. Livie would have avoided more casting,

>in addition to the fact that her foot was not able to be corrected back to

>it's original flexibility. She does fine now and has a fully functional

>foot, but it is not and will never be as well corrected as it was when we

>stopped using the brace.

>

>I have vowed to make her wear the brace until she is 16 if that is what Dr.

>Ponseti believes will keep her from relapsing again!

>

>Hope our story helps you and good luck!

>

>Jen & Livie (10-18-01 severe left clubfoot)

> How long should my son wear his shoes?

>

>

> Hello,

> I am a new member and wish I'd discovered you all when my son was

> born 2 years ago! He got very good care using the Ponsetti method

> and is progressing well. But we really felt alone as we stumbled

> through the difficulty of his discomfort with casts and shoes. Now

> he wears the shoes when he sleeps at night and putting them on is

> just a normal part of the getting ready for bed process.

>

> But I have some questions and concerns that I think only parents who

> have gone through this can really answer.

>

> How long are your children wearing the shoes? My son's treating

> doctor says to stop at age 2. She uses the Ponsetti method but

> disagrees with what I believe is Ponsetti's advice that children

> should wear the shoes until age 4 or 5. We did see another dr. who

> is Ponsetti certified and he says that the standard age to stop is

> 4. I just cannot imagine my son wearing these for another 2 years.

>

> My other question is about development. never crawled,

> though he started to walk at 14 months. He seems just fine now,

> though he is not as fluid in his movement as other children his age.

> He is very cautious by nature, so I'm not sure how much of this is

> due to him being who he is or if the shoes have something to do with

> it.

>

> Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

> Beth

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I think my dh is set on 3 years and I'm set on 4, but since I am the one who

puts the brace on each night I'm figuring on Evy wearing it till he's four....

s.

How long should my son wear his shoes?

Hello,

I am a new member and wish I'd discovered you all when my son was

born 2 years ago! He got very good care using the Ponsetti method

and is progressing well. But we really felt alone as we stumbled

through the difficulty of his discomfort with casts and shoes. Now

he wears the shoes when he sleeps at night and putting them on is

just a normal part of the getting ready for bed process.

But I have some questions and concerns that I think only parents who

have gone through this can really answer.

How long are your children wearing the shoes? My son's treating

doctor says to stop at age 2. She uses the Ponsetti method but

disagrees with what I believe is Ponsetti's advice that children

should wear the shoes until age 4 or 5. We did see another dr. who

is Ponsetti certified and he says that the standard age to stop is

4. I just cannot imagine my son wearing these for another 2 years.

My other question is about development. never crawled,

though he started to walk at 14 months. He seems just fine now,

though he is not as fluid in his movement as other children his age.

He is very cautious by nature, so I'm not sure how much of this is

due to him being who he is or if the shoes have something to do with

it.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Beth

[Guest guest]

We all get annoyed with the FAB, that's just the facts of the matter. Ugh, bed

time, finding the socks, the brace, getting it all on and then morning when he

tugs at them saying OFF OFF OFF but he has another to go but he wants to go play

out side and he cannot until the brace comes off and he tugs at my heart strings

to remove them early.....and I think no way I want to deal with all this twice

in one kid when I'm already dealing with it twice in two kids and I pray I don't

deal with it a third time with my third kid...ugh... I'm just saying buck up

and keep the friggen shoes on the kid as long as necessary becasue the

althernative sucks.

s.

How long should my son wear his shoes?

Hello,

I am a new member and wish I'd discovered you all when my son was

born 2 years ago! He got very good care using the Ponsetti method

and is progressing well. But we really felt alone as we stumbled

through the difficulty of his discomfort with casts and shoes. Now

he wears the shoes when he sleeps at night and putting them on is

just a normal part of the getting ready for bed process.

But I have some questions and concerns that I think only parents who

have gone through this can really answer.

How long are your children wearing the shoes? My son's treating

doctor says to stop at age 2. She uses the Ponsetti method but

disagrees with what I believe is Ponsetti's advice that children

should wear the shoes until age 4 or 5. We did see another dr. who

is Ponsetti certified and he says that the standard age to stop is

4. I just cannot imagine my son wearing these for another 2 years.

My other question is about development. never crawled,

though he started to walk at 14 months. He seems just fine now,

though he is not as fluid in his movement as other children his age.

He is very cautious by nature, so I'm not sure how much of this is

due to him being who he is or if the shoes have something to do with

it.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Beth

[Guest guest]

Apparently it is 4 years. Our Physio at the moment is saying 3 or as long

as they tolerate it so i will just say that he is tolerating it very well

until he is 4

Rach, Steve & Connor

-- How long should my son wear his shoes?

Hello,

I am a new member and wish I'd discovered you all when my son was

born 2 years ago! He got very good care using the Ponsetti method

and is progressing well. But we really felt alone as we stumbled

through the difficulty of his discomfort with casts and shoes. Now

he wears the shoes when he sleeps at night and putting them on is

just a normal part of the getting ready for bed process.

But I have some questions and concerns that I think only parents who

have gone through this can really answer.

How long are your children wearing the shoes? My son's treating

doctor says to stop at age 2. She uses the Ponsetti method but

disagrees with what I believe is Ponsetti's advice that children

should wear the shoes until age 4 or 5. We did see another dr. who

is Ponsetti certified and he says that the standard age to stop is

4. I just cannot imagine my son wearing these for another 2 years.

My other question is about development. never crawled,

though he started to walk at 14 months. He seems just fine now,

though he is not as fluid in his movement as other children his age.

He is very cautious by nature, so I'm not sure how much of this is

due to him being who he is or if the shoes have something to do with

it.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Beth

[Guest guest]

Apparently it is 4 years. Our Physio at the moment is saying 3 or as long

as they tolerate it so i will just say that he is tolerating it very well

until he is 4

Rach, Steve & Connor

-- How long should my son wear his shoes?

Hello,

I am a new member and wish I'd discovered you all when my son was

born 2 years ago! He got very good care using the Ponsetti method

and is progressing well. But we really felt alone as we stumbled

through the difficulty of his discomfort with casts and shoes. Now

he wears the shoes when he sleeps at night and putting them on is

just a normal part of the getting ready for bed process.

But I have some questions and concerns that I think only parents who

have gone through this can really answer.

How long are your children wearing the shoes? My son's treating

doctor says to stop at age 2. She uses the Ponsetti method but

disagrees with what I believe is Ponsetti's advice that children

should wear the shoes until age 4 or 5. We did see another dr. who

is Ponsetti certified and he says that the standard age to stop is

4. I just cannot imagine my son wearing these for another 2 years.

My other question is about development. never crawled,

though he started to walk at 14 months. He seems just fine now,

though he is not as fluid in his movement as other children his age.

He is very cautious by nature, so I'm not sure how much of this is

due to him being who he is or if the shoes have something to do with

it.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Beth

[Guest guest]

Funny, that's just like us, when people ask he says 3 and I always

pipe up, more like 4 and since I also put on the brace, 4 it will be!

& Grace

> I think my dh is set on 3 years and I'm set on 4, but since I am

the one who puts the brace on each night I'm figuring on Evy wearing

it till he's four....

> s.

>

> How long should my son wear his

shoes?

>

> Hello,

> I am a new member and wish I'd discovered you all when my son was

> born 2 years ago! He got very good care using the Ponsetti method

> and is progressing well. But we really felt alone as we stumbled

> through the difficulty of his discomfort with casts and shoes. Now

> he wears the shoes when he sleeps at night and putting them on is

> just a normal part of the getting ready for bed process.

>

> But I have some questions and concerns that I think only parents

who

> have gone through this can really answer.

>

> How long are your children wearing the shoes? My son's treating

> doctor says to stop at age 2. She uses the Ponsetti method but

> disagrees with what I believe is Ponsetti's advice that children

> should wear the shoes until age 4 or 5. We did see another dr. who

> is Ponsetti certified and he says that the standard age to stop is

> 4. I just cannot imagine my son wearing these for another 2 years.

>

> My other question is about development. never crawled,

> though he started to walk at 14 months. He seems just fine now,

> though he is not as fluid in his movement as other children his

age.

> He is very cautious by nature, so I'm not sure how much of this is

> due to him being who he is or if the shoes have something to do

with

> it.

>

> Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

> Beth

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Funny, that's just like us, when people ask he says 3 and I always

pipe up, more like 4 and since I also put on the brace, 4 it will be!

& Grace

> I think my dh is set on 3 years and I'm set on 4, but since I am

the one who puts the brace on each night I'm figuring on Evy wearing

it till he's four....

> s.

>

> How long should my son wear his

shoes?

>

> Hello,

> I am a new member and wish I'd discovered you all when my son was

> born 2 years ago! He got very good care using the Ponsetti method

> and is progressing well. But we really felt alone as we stumbled

> through the difficulty of his discomfort with casts and shoes. Now

> he wears the shoes when he sleeps at night and putting them on is

> just a normal part of the getting ready for bed process.

>

> But I have some questions and concerns that I think only parents

who

> have gone through this can really answer.

>

> How long are your children wearing the shoes? My son's treating

> doctor says to stop at age 2. She uses the Ponsetti method but

> disagrees with what I believe is Ponsetti's advice that children

> should wear the shoes until age 4 or 5. We did see another dr. who

> is Ponsetti certified and he says that the standard age to stop is

> 4. I just cannot imagine my son wearing these for another 2 years.

>

> My other question is about development. never crawled,

> though he started to walk at 14 months. He seems just fine now,

> though he is not as fluid in his movement as other children his

age.

> He is very cautious by nature, so I'm not sure how much of this is

> due to him being who he is or if the shoes have something to do

with

> it.

>

> Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

> Beth

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I've been told by Dr. Ponseti that Lhea will be in her shoes until 3 possibly 4.

By then though, I'm figuring it'll only be at night to sleep. This is so that

there is no relapse.

wrote:

Funny, that's just like us, when people ask he says 3 and I always

pipe up, more like 4 and since I also put on the brace, 4 it will be!

& Grace

> I think my dh is set on 3 years and I'm set on 4, but since I am

the one who puts the brace on each night I'm figuring on Evy wearing

it till he's four....

> s.

>

> How long should my son wear his

shoes?

>

> Hello,

> I am a new member and wish I'd discovered you all when my son was

> born 2 years ago! He got very good care using the Ponsetti method

> and is progressing well. But we really felt alone as we stumbled

> through the difficulty of his discomfort with casts and shoes. Now

> he wears the shoes when he sleeps at night and putting them on is

> just a normal part of the getting ready for bed process.

>

> But I have some questions and concerns that I think only parents

who

> have gone through this can really answer.

>

> How long are your children wearing the shoes? My son's treating

> doctor says to stop at age 2. She uses the Ponsetti method but

> disagrees with what I believe is Ponsetti's advice that children

> should wear the shoes until age 4 or 5. We did see another dr. who

> is Ponsetti certified and he says that the standard age to stop is

> 4. I just cannot imagine my son wearing these for another 2 years.

>

> My other question is about development. never crawled,

> though he started to walk at 14 months. He seems just fine now,

> though he is not as fluid in his movement as other children his

age.

> He is very cautious by nature, so I'm not sure how much of this is

> due to him being who he is or if the shoes have something to do

with

> it.

>

> Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

> Beth

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dr. Ponseti told us 3 1/2 to 4. We're sticking with 4 since it's no

big deal in our family to put it on, wear it, etc. It's been a part

of our nighttime routine FOREVER. There was a time period there

(for about 2 weeks) right when Zach turned 3 that he " half

complained " about wearing it. We thought we may be in for some

frustration, but it passed.

Holly

Zachary 7/27/02

Right C/F

Treated by Dr. Ponseti

DBB Nights Only

> > I think my dh is set on 3 years and I'm set on 4, but since I am

> the one who puts the brace on each night I'm figuring on Evy

wearing

> it till he's four....

> > s.

> >

> > How long should my son wear his

> shoes?

> >

> > Hello,

> > I am a new member and wish I'd discovered you all when my son

was

> > born 2 years ago! He got very good care using the Ponsetti

method

> > and is progressing well. But we really felt alone as we

stumbled

> > through the difficulty of his discomfort with casts and shoes.

Now

> > he wears the shoes when he sleeps at night and putting them on

is

> > just a normal part of the getting ready for bed process.

> >

> > But I have some questions and concerns that I think only parents

> who

> > have gone through this can really answer.

> >

> > How long are your children wearing the shoes? My son's treating

> > doctor says to stop at age 2. She uses the Ponsetti method but

> > disagrees with what I believe is Ponsetti's advice that children

> > should wear the shoes until age 4 or 5. We did see another dr.

who

> > is Ponsetti certified and he says that the standard age to stop

is

> > 4. I just cannot imagine my son wearing these for another 2

years.

> >

> > My other question is about development. never crawled,

> > though he started to walk at 14 months. He seems just fine now,

> > though he is not as fluid in his movement as other children his

> age.

> > He is very cautious by nature, so I'm not sure how much of this

is

> > due to him being who he is or if the shoes have something to do

> with

> > it.

> >

> > Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

> > Beth

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >