Recovery & Support for Clubfoot in Children

At Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, most children with clubfoot are successfully treated using the Ponseti method and grow up to lead active lives.

Our doctors care about your child’s health and success and continue to meet with you and your child for years after treatment to ensure that his or her feet grow properly. Rarely, children require additional care after treatment. Our doctors, social workers, and child life specialists continue to provide specialized care and support for these children and their families. These support services and resilience programs are provided by Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care.

Follow-Up Exams

Our doctors recommend that your child have a physical exam of the feet every year until he or she reaches maturity, even if clubfoot was corrected by the Ponseti method or surgery. These exams allow doctors to monitor your child’s feet while the bones and tendons are still growing and help to prevent a relapse.

Rehabilitation

If a child requires physical therapy as part of continued treatment, physical therapists at NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation work with our orthopedic doctors to help your child reach his or her physical potential. Our physical therapists customize simple stretching and strengthening exercises to improve flexibility, build muscle, and increase the range of motion in your child’s feet. When part of a daily routine, these exercises build muscle and improve balance, helping your child to remain as active as possible.

Support Groups

Our doctors understand that caring for a child with clubfoot can be emotionally challenging, especially during the casting and bracing phase of the Ponseti method. The New York Ponseti Clubfoot Center at the Center for Children, part of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, hosts support groups for families and children during which they can meet and talk about their experiences. Often, parents find it therapeutic to spend time with other families who are going through the same experience, and children develop a positive self-image by meeting other kids who have similar conditions. At these meetings, doctors can answer questions and give advice.