ST. LOUIS, July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The percentage of parents complying with the recommended treatment of a common birth defect, clubfoot, more than doubled -- soaring from 40 to 95 percent -- when given a newer, more mobile and comfortable leg and foot brace for their child, according to a study out this month in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. This new dynamically hinged brace -- The Dobbs Brace -- allows its tiny wearers to walk -- something that was difficult with the rigid “bar and shoe brace,” which has been the standard for nearly 40 years. Because the new brace provides greater patient mobility and comfort, parental compliance has soared - which means that kids who wear the new brace are more likely to wear it as prescribed and less likely to experience recurrent clubfoot.
The findings underscore the importance of parental compliance in the treatment of clubfoot, a birth defect affecting approximately 1 out of 750 U.S. births. “If the family follows our treatment method, there’s more than a 95 percent chance that nothing else will need to be done to the child’s feet. I explain to parents that clubfoot correction is 2 percent in our hands and 98 percent in theirs,” says Matthew Dobbs, MD, Clubfoot Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, who developed the new brace.
Dr. Dobbs hopes the new brace will counter an unsettling trend. “We’re starting to see an increase in the number of doctors and parents electing for surgery to treat clubfoot and that’s not a good thing. Parents have been giving up too soon because the treatment process is labor intensive and the old brace was very uncomfortable. But we have a critical message -- don’t give up! The data is crystal clear: kids who have surgery to treat clubfoot are more likely to have additional surgeries and experience more problems with arthritis and mobility issues during adolescence and adulthood,” says Dr. Dobbs. “Those who opt for casting and bracing experience more normal mobility later in life.”
Alison Grindon knows firsthand about mobility issues. Grindon, who was diagnosed with clubfoot at birth, used the immobile brace for the first several years of her life prior to undergoing four surgeries before the age of six. More than 30 years later, Grindon now suffers from stiffness and pain in her feet and ankles. However, Grindon’s 2-year-old son Samuel, who was also diagnosed with clubfoot at birth, is a different story.
“When I found out that Sam had clubfoot, I did all the research I could to find the best treatments for him,” said Grindon. “We settled on the casting correction method and now he is in the Dobbs Brace.”
Sam, who wears his brace for 12 hours a day, doesn’t seem to mind it. In fact, Grindon believes he has formed an attachment to it. “He knows he needs to wear it, so he’ll bring the brace to me and ask me to put it on him,” says Grindon. “It’s easy to be compliant because Sam doesn’t mind wearing it.”
Facts About Clubfoot and Its Treatment: -- The Clubfoot Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital is one of the nation’s premier foot deformity clinic specializing in the Ponseti method for cast correction of clubfoot. Dr. Matthew Dobbs, who trained under Dr. Ignacio Ponseti, is at the forefront of both research and clinical treatment of clubfoot, making St. Louis Children’s Hospital one of the world’s leading treatment facilities for this genetic disorder. According the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: -- Clubfoot is one of the most common birth defects. More than 4,000 babies (about 1 to 2 in 1,000) are born with clubfoot in the United States each year. Boys are affected twice as often as girls. -- The most common approach for treating clubfoot in the United States is the Ponseti method. This method usually corrects clubfeet in 6-8 weeks using manipulation and casting. Every 5-7 days, the doctor takes off the cast, manipulates the foot and puts on a new cast. Each manipulation and casting brings the foot closer to normal. Between five and seven casts are usually needed to correct the clubfoot. -- After the last cast is removed, the baby must wear a brace for 23 hours a day for 2-3 months, then at night for 2-4 years. It is crucial that parents follow the doctor’s instructions about using the brace. Clubfoot often recurs when the baby does not wear the brace as recommended. -- With early expert treatment, most children with even severe clubfoot can grow up to wear regular shoes, take part in sports and lead full, active lives.
Video
Click the link below to view the brace and hear from Dr. Dobbs and parents. Also, see a child struggle in the old brace, and walk in the new one. http://my.break.com/media/view.aspx?ContentID=326713
St. Louis Children’s Hospital has provided specialized care for children for more than 125 years. The hospital is affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine, ranked the number four medical school in the country by US News & World Report. In 2007, Child magazine ranked St. Louis Children’s Hospital among the 10 best children’s hospitals in the country, and second in allergy and pulmonary medicine. In 2005, St. Louis Children’s Hospital received the Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nation’s highest honor for nursing excellence. St. Louis Children’s Hospital is a member of BJC HealthCare. For more information visit stlouischildrens.org.
Contact: Aimee DeVoll
314-552-6744 adevoll@webershandwick.com
St. Louis Children’s Hospital
CONTACT: Aimee DeVoll for St. Louis Children’s Hospital, +1-314-552-6744,+1-314-607-7023, adevoll@webershandwick.com
