In the past two blog posts, we discussed what clubfoot is, the types, and the treatments. Certainly what causes clubfoot may impact the type of treatment your child will receive. So how do you know the severity of clubfoot your child may have?
What treatment, if any, has the child already had in China? What medical services will your child need once here in the US? And how well will your child fare after receiving castings or surgery?
These are all questions you should ask when presented with a referral of a child with clubfoot. At Nightlight, we will answer as many of these questions as possible. Often we may not have all the information on a child, but we can usually get more as it is always our goal to provide our families with all the information present.
Also, you will want to have a child‘s pictures and medical reports sent to an international medical specialist. There are many health care professionals who provide evaluation services as well as post-adoption services once your child is home. Nightlight has an extensive list of health care providers—some who provide assessment services. Contact Michelle@nightlight to send you this list. For a child with clubfoot, you may want someone whose specialty is clubfoot to evaluate your child’s referral pictures and medical report.
Once a physician looks at your child’s record and sees their pictures, the doctor may have more specific questions. This may require our China coordinator to contact the orphanage staff to gather further information-- if the information is available.
Before contacting a physician, you will want to read up as much as possible on clubfoot—so that you can be comfortable with the language and ask further questions if you do not feel that you have all the information you need.
Parent Recommended Physicians for Evaluating Children with Clubfoot:
Dr. Jose Morcuende , an expert, is with the University of Iowa Children's Hospital, where the Ponseti method of casting was developed and can be reached at jose-morcuende@uiowa.edu
Dr Matthew Dobbs
1 Children's Pl, #1, St Louis, MO 63110
(314) 454-2500
Dr. Vishwas R. Talwalkar
University Of Kentucky ORS/SPM
740 South Limestone
Lexington, KY 40536