Role of Parents and Carers in Clubfoot

Original Editor - Africa Clubfoot Training Team as part of ICRC and GCI Clubfoot Content Development Project

Top Contributors - Naomi O'Reilly, Kim Jackson, Rachael Lowe, Simisola Ajeyalemi, Rucha Gadgil and Meaghan Rieke  

Introduction

Families of children with clubfoot play a very large, and essential role in their treatment.  Once the position of the foot is corrected and foot abduction bracing is started it is the parents that must apply braces every night until they are 4-5 years old. They must also attend multiple and frequent clinic visits.

Challenges

Families face many challenges during clubfoot treatment including:

• Duration of treatment - from birth until 4-5 years of age or longer
• Frequency of appointments
• Practicalities of application of the foot abduction brace for 23 hours for the first 12 weeks and at night and nap times until 4-5 years of age

In some locations additional challenges can include:

• The distance, duration and cost of travel to attend clinic appointments
• Families not understanding clubfoot treatment correctly, or not being given clear instructions on their roles in treatment
• Facing stigma from their communities due to traditional or cultural beliefs around clubfoot, such as that it is a curse. Mothers of babies born with clubfoot can be ostracised by their communities or families for these reasons.

Role of Physiotherapist

As well as providing empathetic support and information throughout the treatment process, physiotherapists have a role in ensuring that patients who are at risk of, or who have dropped out of treatment are identified and followed up.  This means putting systems in place so that when patients do not attend for follow up visits as scheduled this is noted and there is a means of contacting them to remind them of their appointment and encourage them to attend.

Resources

There are useful materials on the STEPS South Africa website on supporting parents throughout treatment - ‘Ponseti for Parents’ Advisor Manual, on correction and maintenance phases of treatment [/steps.org.za/what-we-do/ponsetidownloads/ http://steps.org.za/what-we-do/ponsetidownloads/]

References

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