Guest guest Posted May 8, 2006 Report Share Posted May 8, 2006 My husband and I are having trouble getting our son's feet into the DBB correctly, even after a quick lesson from the orthosist and reading the " Tips and Tricks for the FAB " online. although he no longer screams and cries, he appears to be getting blisters on the backs of his ankles, and I assume this is from 'slipping.' How can I prevent this from getting any worse? Our baby's heels still look slightly irregular (e.g. on an angle) too, although the physiotherapist is thrilled with his feet. Our son has been in the DBB 5 days and he is in a great mood during the day. Meanwhile, he is very irritable at night and will not go to bed until 2:00 a.m., despite a consistent bed routine. If his feet are slipping, why would he be in a great mood during the day and a bear at night? This doesn't make much sense to me. Please help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 8, 2006 Report Share Posted May 8, 2006 Hi There! ok, can you tell us a little more about you son's treatment so far? When you say physiotherapist, do you mean he's seeing a physical therapist or are you referring to his physician (orthopaedic surgeon)? Can you tell us how many casts he had, how often they were changed, and what they looked like? Do you have his last cast saved? Do you have any pictures of him in these casts? Tell me a little about the brace. I assume you're using the white open toe boots with a bar. What color is the bar? Can you tell what size it is if it is a fixed length bar (there is often a little sticker on the bar itself with a number). If you place the brace on the floor upright, can you lie your son down in between the heels at his shoulders? Is it a perfect fit? (heels just touching outside of shoulders) Can you tell at what degree the shoes are set at? Have you taken the shoes off the bar to put them on? Slipping means the shoe is not tight enough in most cases. Assuming your son does not have complex (atypical) clubfoot you will need to find out how to get his heel deep enough in the shoe to be able to tighten the strap enough to keep him from slipping. Following the instructions in the tips file, with shoes off the bar (if possible), bend knee, hold the sole of the shoe with the other hand and dorsiflex (point toes up toward head) the foot as far as possible. Then PUSH HARD on the knee and SHOVE his heel deeply into the back and bottom of the shoe. While holding him pushed into the shoe, use your thumb to press on the top of his foot where the strap goes through the tongue keeper slit and squeeze tightly. Now cinch, and give it a good and hardy pull. If you get him in deep enough, you should be able to cinch the strap at least one hole tighter. It takes much more effort and strength than one would ever expect to have to use on a little baby but it's necessary to get them in these shoes properly. If you haven't yet, DO elongate the tongue keeper slit so that the tongue sits at or below the top of the boot at the ankle. The tighter you can get that ankle area with the laces, the better and the tongue can kinda block the ankle open if it's too high. You can also try not using the top lace holes, tie them very tightly at the second hole position. Once you get the shoe nice and tight with the strap, always pull a bit at the heel and if it's not tight enough, you'll see movement. If it slips at all, re-dorsiflex the foot, bend knee, PUSH the heel down again and try to re-tighten. Now, let's talk about the blister... how bad is it? It may be possible to heal it in the shoes if it's not severe. Lansinosh (the stuff for your nipples in the purple bottle) has been used to aid in healing blisters in shoes. If you see this blister getting worse, you will want to hole the shoe over the sore so it can heal. This is a blessing if you need it because once you hole the shoe you will have a window to see if the heel is down and all the guesswork is eliminated. Plus nothing touches that blister so it can heal nicely. If you have any pictures of his feet, it would help to know how severe the blister is and how to deal with it. Also, you say his heel is on angle and this could be just baby feet or it could mean additional correction is needed. If you can do this, take this series of pictures: 1 each - with baby standing bearing weight (hold him up) directly from the front AND the back from the knees down as he stands. (get on the floor with the camera, do this on a hard surface - not carpet) 1 each - profile as he stands from the outside (again, photographer on the floor) 1 each - soles of his feet 1 each clubfoot - Profile of dorsiflexion. Use your hand (whole palm, not fingers) and push his foot/toes as far up towards his head as they'll go. Ideally this should be done on a straight leg, but often if you bend the knee while doing this you can gain additional dorsiflexion and also relax baby (he'll push against you, kinda bump him into it while distracting) and then you can straighten his leg for the picture. Take the picture from the side, so it shows how far past " L " or 0 degrees (neutral) his foot can flex. 1 of him wearing the FAB (DBB) as you normally put it on. any pictures of the sores on his feet. any pictures of his casts and please... some of his face!! So now, where to share these pictures? We have a list dedicated to allowing attachments and this is the best way for us to help you troubleshoot this. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFPics/ A file will be sent to the email addy that you used to subscribe. Please read that file, and at the bottom you will find a short survey. Reply to the email you got the attachment in and paste the survey into the body of the email. You can fill in your answers and then send it to us, we'll get you approved as soon as we see that. Then you can send an email to the group and attach your pictures. Resize them if needed as yahoo will reject any attachment over 1mb total in any one email. Hang in there, we can help you figure this out. Hug and kiss your little man and please... watch those blisters (check him regularly). If they get ANY worse... get the shoe holed cuz babies do not deserve big sores on their feet. I've seen this first hand and it's not fun at all. We'll get you fixed up. :~} And please let us know how it's going and how we can help. Kori Darbi's Mama At 10:47 AM 5/8/2006, you wrote: >My husband and I are having trouble getting our son's feet into the DBB >correctly, even after a quick lesson from the orthosist and reading >the " Tips and Tricks for the FAB " online. although he no longer >screams and cries, he appears to be getting blisters on the backs of >his ankles, and I assume this is from 'slipping.' How can I prevent >this from getting any worse? Our baby's heels still look slightly >irregular (e.g. on an angle) too, although the physiotherapist is >thrilled with his feet. Our son has been in the DBB 5 days and he is in >a great mood during the day. Meanwhile, he is very irritable at night >and will not go to bed until 2:00 a.m., despite a consistent bed >routine. If his feet are slipping, why would he be in a great mood >during the day and a bear at night? This doesn't make much sense to >me. Please help! > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 8, 2006 Report Share Posted May 8, 2006 My first instinct here is bar length. The biggest contributor to slipping heels and baby being unable to get comfortable to sleep is a bar that is too short. And this is a VERY common problem. What you want to do is take the FAB and hold it up to the back of your son's shoulders, or alternately, lay the FAB down (shoes sitting upright) and lay your son so that his shoulders go in between the heels of the shoes. If his shoulders have to " scrunch " to fit, or even if the heels of the shoes press into his shoulders the bar is likely too short and this is what is making him uncomfortable. It could be close to right since he is happy during the day but I would definitely try widening the bar (provided you have an adjustable bar) or getting the next size longer bar and see if that doesn't do the trick. As far as the heels slipping, are the blisters just regular fluid filled blisters are are they dark purple in color? Slipping usually causes blisters or rubbed raw skin; dark purple sores that open up are pressure sores and are usually caused by putting the shoes on tightly but not getting the heel down all the way. If his heels are slipping but you are really getting the foot *way* down in the shoe as is explained in the tips document then I would attribute that to the too short bar. Oh, and it is normal for his heel to still look a little funny, the actual heel bone will not have fully " dropped " into position yet. What happens is that over the course of the next few months it will gradually descend, pushing through that pad of fat there, until after he is walking full time -- at this time the heel will look more " normal " and you'll be able to feel the heel bone where it should be. Hope this helps, and if you are still having trouble let us know and we can troubleshoot some more. Mom to Jenna (4/7/01) & Sammy (9/25/04, RCF, Dobbs' brace, 12-14hrs/day) > > My husband and I are having trouble getting our son's feet into the DBB > correctly, even after a quick lesson from the orthosist and reading > the " Tips and Tricks for the FAB " online. although he no longer > screams and cries, he appears to be getting blisters on the backs of > his ankles, and I assume this is from 'slipping.' How can I prevent > this from getting any worse? Our baby's heels still look slightly > irregular (e.g. on an angle) too, although the physiotherapist is > thrilled with his feet. Our son has been in the DBB 5 days and he is in > a great mood during the day. Meanwhile, he is very irritable at night > and will not go to bed until 2:00 a.m., despite a consistent bed > routine. If his feet are slipping, why would he be in a great mood > during the day and a bear at night? This doesn't make much sense to > me. Please help! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 9, 2006 Report Share Posted May 9, 2006 sit the baby in your lab facing away from you. my wife found that to be the easiest and most successful way. also, she does not use the bottom set of eyes on the shoes - the Dr. checked and said it was ok - no kick-offs in over 2 months. all the best Mordechai Dovid Levine father of Yehoshua Yaakov (July 16, 2006) > > My husband and I are having trouble getting our son's feet into the DBB > correctly, even after a quick lesson from the orthosist and reading > the " Tips and Tricks for the FAB " online. although he no longer > screams and cries, he appears to be getting blisters on the backs of > his ankles, and I assume this is from 'slipping.' How can I prevent > this from getting any worse? Our baby's heels still look slightly > irregular (e.g. on an angle) too, although the physiotherapist is > thrilled with his feet. Our son has been in the DBB 5 days and he is in > a great mood during the day. Meanwhile, he is very irritable at night > and will not go to bed until 2:00 a.m., despite a consistent bed > routine. If his feet are slipping, why would he be in a great mood > during the day and a bear at night? This doesn't make much sense to > me. Please help! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 9, 2006 Report Share Posted May 9, 2006 That is the way I do it too. s. Re: Slipping sit the baby in your lab facing away from you. my wife found that to be the easiest and most successful way. also, she does not use the bottom set of eyes on the shoes - the Dr. checked and said it was ok - no kick-offs in over 2 months. all the best Mordechai Dovid Levine father of Yehoshua Yaakov (July 16, 2006) > > My husband and I are having trouble getting our son's feet into the DBB > correctly, even after a quick lesson from the orthosist and reading > the " Tips and Tricks for the FAB " online. although he no longer > screams and cries, he appears to be getting blisters on the backs of > his ankles, and I assume this is from 'slipping.' How can I prevent > this from getting any worse? Our baby's heels still look slightly > irregular (e.g. on an angle) too, although the physiotherapist is > thrilled with his feet. Our son has been in the DBB 5 days and he is in > a great mood during the day. Meanwhile, he is very irritable at night > and will not go to bed until 2:00 a.m., despite a consistent bed > routine. If his feet are slipping, why would he be in a great mood > during the day and a bear at night? This doesn't make much sense to > me. Please help! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 9, 2006 Report Share Posted May 9, 2006 Every time I try to do it this way I fail. I HAVE to have her lying down in front of me, and if she sits up at all it makes it all the more difficult. I got her trained lol... 'cept when she wants to make me nuts and keeps sitting up and laughing :~} Kori At 12:44 PM 5/9/2006, you wrote: >That is the way I do it too. >s. > > Re: Slipping > > > sit the baby in your lab facing away from you. my wife found that to > be the easiest and most successful way. also, she does not use the > bottom set of eyes on the shoes - the Dr. checked and said it was ok - > no kick-offs in over 2 months. > > all the best > Mordechai Dovid Levine > father of Yehoshua Yaakov (July 16, 2006) > > > > > > My husband and I are having trouble getting our son's feet into the > DBB > > correctly, even after a quick lesson from the orthosist and reading > > the " Tips and Tricks for the FAB " online. although he no longer > > screams and cries, he appears to be getting blisters on the backs > of > > his ankles, and I assume this is from 'slipping.' How can I > prevent > > this from getting any worse? Our baby's heels still look slightly > > irregular (e.g. on an angle) too, although the physiotherapist is > > thrilled with his feet. Our son has been in the DBB 5 days and he > is in > > a great mood during the day. Meanwhile, he is very irritable at > night > > and will not go to bed until 2:00 a.m., despite a consistent bed > > routine. If his feet are slipping, why would he be in a great mood > > during the day and a bear at night? This doesn't make much sense > to > > me. Please help! > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 9, 2006 Report Share Posted May 9, 2006 I do it with Sammy on the changing table in front of me. I can do it either laying down or sitting up, and sometimes with one leg facing the opposite direction of where it needs to be. : ) > > > > > > My husband and I are having trouble getting our son's feet into the > > DBB > > > correctly, even after a quick lesson from the orthosist and reading > > > the " Tips and Tricks for the FAB " online. although he no longer > > > screams and cries, he appears to be getting blisters on the backs > > of > > > his ankles, and I assume this is from 'slipping.' How can I > > prevent > > > this from getting any worse? Our baby's heels still look slightly > > > irregular (e.g. on an angle) too, although the physiotherapist is > > > thrilled with his feet. Our son has been in the DBB 5 days and he > > is in > > > a great mood during the day. Meanwhile, he is very irritable at > > night > > > and will not go to bed until 2:00 a.m., despite a consistent bed > > > routine. If his feet are slipping, why would he be in a great mood > > > during the day and a bear at night? This doesn't make much sense > > to > > > me. Please help! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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