Clubfoot is a deformity of the baby's foot that can be identified during pregnancy.
The prevalence of clubfoot is slightly more than one in a thousand births, and in half of the cases, it is bilateral (affecting both feet).
Why is prenatal diagnosis essential?
Clubfoot is a condition that can be successfully treated in most cases with modern methods by experts. However, if additional findings accompany this condition, it becomes a more complex situation.
Like any abnormal finding during fetal development, we inquire whether it is an isolated finding or if there are other abnormal findings present in the fetus. Prenatal diagnosis allows us to prepare for childbirth with all the relevant findings and adjust our approach accordingly.
Around week 25 of pregnancy, a three-dimensional ultrasound is conducted in utero.
The prenatal diagnosis clinic offers consultations with doctors from various specialties, all collaborating to diagnose and treat any abnormal findings in both the fetus and the expectant mother.
When clubfoot is diagnosed in the fetus, the mother will meet with her gynecologist and orthopedist, who will explain the nature of the finding and the treatment methods. However, the precise diagnosis will only be obtained after birth. In order to rule out other findings (clubfoot is not an isolated finding in about 10% of the fetuses identified with it), an extended ultrasound scan will be performed. The genetic counselor will discuss the overall findings with the parents and explain if there is a recommendation for further tests, primarily in the realm of genetic investigation. If there are concerns about more complex problems, a meeting will be arranged with the couple to discuss the findings and their implications. We respect the right of every pregnant woman not to delve into extensive investigations and to perform only the tests she deems appropriate.
After a prolonged period of meetings with the expecting couple who will bring a child with clubfoot into the world, we highly recommend meeting with the clinic's team and arriving at childbirth with all the possible information in your hands, as parents who are familiar with the condition called clubfoot help their baby and assist us in providing better care.