my lo now 2.5 years has bilateral talipes as one of her collection of conditions (majority of children just have talipes on its own so if rest of bubs on scan is fine then don't worry). Agree with what others have said - look at the Steps website too.

I can recommend the use of baby sleeping bags for the boots and bar stage (instead of blankets etc) as this helps muffle the noise a baby can make wacking the bar into the cot rails and also stops them slotting the brace between the rails.

it is important to start the Ponseti treatment soon after birth whilst baby's bones are still pliable - and the treatment really doesn't bother them much at all! Find out what hospital your lo will be treated at, and how to get there, you may need someone to drive you to early appointments whilst still recovering from the birth (eg if you had a section then you could have several appointments whilst not able to drive). You may need slighter larger clothing to fit over teh plaster casts stage, and when wearing boots and bar need to either cut feet off sleepsuits, or use romper suits/pyjamas, or little girls are fine in dresses!

Our lo has to wear piedro boots now she is walking, but some children don't need any special footwear at all and manage fine. If your lo has only 1 foot affected, then it is possible that this foot could end up a shoe size or so smaller than the other foot, but in the grand scheme of things this isn't a big issue at all really.

good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

just wanted to say thanks raz that does help alot

My daughter who is 16months old was born with severe bilateral talipes.  She started the ponsetti method when she was 1 week old.  She had 5 plaster casts, a tenotomy whist she was awake, had to wear Mitchell boots and bars for 23hours a day for 3 months.  she now has to wear these boots every night until she is 4 years old. She has no problems walking + has achieved all her milestones -she started walking when she was 10 months old!.

The ponsetti method has a success rate of approx 96% and is non invasive - ie no surgery is required.

The best advise that I can give you is not to worry - I like yourself found out at my 20week scan + spent the rest of my pregnancy worring.  Talipes is one of the most common birth defects with approx 1 in 1000 babies being born with it.  All children who are treated for this condition using ethe Ponsetti method  are treated in exactly the same way  whether they have one affected foot or 2.

I go on the STEPS website - this is the best forum for advice - it is the support goup for club feet + you can find out any information that you need.

heres some websites to look at :

http://www.clubfeet.net/index.php

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/healthpictures/ig/Club-Foot-Picture-Gallery/Bracing-Bar-for-Clubfoot.htm

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/healthpictures/ig/Club-Foot-Picture-Gallery/Casting-for-Club-Foot.htm

the last 2 are pics of the boots and bar brace and the plaster casts (ponsetti method)

hope this helps add me to msn if u like toni83@hotmail.co.uk xxx

the op he had was quite straight forward he was in theatre for about an hour so quick really. Normally they try the ponsetti method first. Which is where they coax the feet into the correct postion by applying plaster casts to hold the foot. The plaster is normally changed every week, depending on the sucess of this procedure will determine if an op is needed. After the ponsetti is done a device called a boots and bar is normally applied this has to be worn for 3 mths 23 hrs a day and then it is worn at night only. My little boy now wears pedro boots and has intensive physiotheraphy. We are looking at further surgery due to the feet relapsing. We had our treatment at great ormond street but most local hospitals now provide the treatment successfully.

I have uploaded some pictures on my profile under talipes and am trying to find some pics of the plasters and boots and bar xxx

thankyou so mcuh for replying. that would be very helpful if you could do that. the operation that your little boy had to have, is it a major or minor thing?

hiya my eldest son who is 3 has bilateral talipes he has surgery at 3mths to release his tendond in both feet his now in specialist boots and is doing ok but its not fully corrected yet he had the ponsetti method to change the postion of his feet and that worked quite well. He walks ok and runs about his just cant walk very far and falls over quite a bit I have some photos of his feet when he was born if u wanted to have a look ill upload them on my profile any questions just ask

hiya every1.. found out at my 5 months scan that my little boy has got club foot... just wondered if there was any1 going or has gone through the same thing for a bit of advice on maybe what to expect....anything id be really grateful.. thanks x