Question Regarding 4 Month Old Leg Deformity

When I was born (nearly 40 years ago), I had what we call a "monkey foot." It was not a club foot, but where my foot had a really high arch and turned inward. Where, if I could have walked then, I would have had to walk on the outside edge of my right foot. The doctor told my mother just to massage my foot every day while gently pushing it into a more normal postition. It took several months, but I have TWO "normal" feet (one just has a slightly higher arch). When my 2nd child was born, she also had a "monkey foot" though not as pronounced as mine was. We didn't really even notice it until she started walking. Then, we sould see the difference in how her foot hit the ground and how it turned. On a visit to the doctor about something else, she had taken her shoes off and I notice it and mentioned it to the doctor. He said not to worry about it, it was very mild and he would not recommend surgery for it. I told him that I figured that when she put her shoes on herself and they were on the wrong foot, it would probably help straighten it out as well. He agreed and we were right.

I'm not sure if this is like what you are talking about with your son or if it is more of a club foot situation. I definitely think getting him to the doctor to have it looked at is the right thing to do. Just keep in mind, their bones are very flexible right now. You may be able to remedy this situation like mother did with my foot and massage and gently push it into a more normal position. In my and my daughter's situation, we were a bit crowded in the womb and it is believed that is what caused it. DOn't know about with me, bu in the sonograms with my daughter, she sat like a little frog way down low for nearly the entire pregnancy. That could have had something to do with her foot being mis-shaped.

Hopefully, your son's foot will not require surgery and you can do something similar to what we did. I will say a prayer for you and your son.

Blessings,

L.

You might also try to see if you can get someone at Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas to look at him:
http://www.tsrhc.org/
Our neighbor's daughter had a similar problem and as I recall, she wore something on her leg for a while and it corrected the problem (I guess it encourage the muscles to strengthen in the right direction). The advantage of Scottish Rite is that they are a not for profit organization (they do not charge for services if they accept the case), thus you are more likely to get a more objective analysis of the situation.

T.,
It sounds like your son may have a clubbed foot. My oldest was born with his right foot as such. It was an obvious deformity at birth. We went to Scottish Rite which is where he had surgery at about 5 mos. of age.
Scottish Rite is the absolute best in dealing with such cases. However, any orthopedic doctor should provide sound advice.
My son is now almost 17 and very active.
Good Luck!

I think you are doing the right thing! We have a physical therapy practice in stonebridge and my mom is a great PT. She has been doing it for 33+years and specialized in pediatrics. We don't have many children now, but your son will get better! I highly recommend her assessment! She is a genious. Her name is Leanne and her office phone number is ###-###-####. You will be happy you called her!
Good Luck!