lightly , then the child will move it into a normal position . If you cannot put the foot in a normal position then it will need to be straightened with strapping or casts .
Although club foot often occurs without any other problem occasionally it is a complication and problem in the spinal cord . So always check the Childs spine and test if he has feeling in his feet . The feet may gradually become deformed into a club foot position because of cerebral palsy , polio , arthritis or spinal cord damage .
Rarely club feet occur together with a clubbed hand or other weakness and deformities of the body . A club foot should be held in a cast or strapped in a straighter position soon after birth until it is corrected past normal . After correcting the foot , daily stretching exercises are often needed to help keep the foot straight .
A brace is used day and night if necessary to keep the foot from bending in again , until finally normal use and exercise keeps the foot straight . About 60 % of club feet can be effectively straightened without surgery in six to eight week , using strapping or casts . Correction of club feet should begin soon after the child is born , if possible in the first two days .
At the time of birth a babies bones and joints are still soft and as the child gets older his bones get harder and become less flexible . Usually good correction without surgery is only possible in the first year of life .