Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-10-12
Don't Delay
Treatment OF
Determines
Correction May Require
Years Of Patience,
Monday, October IL, 1912 ,
BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENNING

BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENNING
A Ii congenital deformities
- should be treated as soon
after birth as possible.
I do not mean that surgical or
other corrective treatment Of
radical nature need be started
in the first week of life, but /
do mean that as soon as the
deformity is recognized or even
suspected a medical practitioner
in whom the family has COM
plete confidence. and who has
had experience in this field.
should be selected. should be
called to see the baby. and after
examination should have the
privilege of mapping a plan or
campaign.
/ say "a practitioner in whom
the family has complete conf
dence" because most congenital
deformities cannot be corrected
by a single brilliant stroke; II Is
usually a matter Of many re-
peated maneuVers extending
over a period of at least year,
and perhaps several years: a
period which requires patience
and courage on the part OF
parents and doctor, and COM
plete confidence.
A TRAGIC aspect OF these
conditions is that IL is often
so hard to convince the parents
that the baby has a deformity.
The eye is a little of center,
perhaps. but then grandma says
all babies are like that at first.
The baby isn't able to nurse,
the milk comes back through
it's nose, but il couldn't be
Cleft palate
Uncle Ned says he remem-
bers father was like that when
he was a baby.
1t is comforting to believe
grandma and Uncle Ned, but
not good for the adult life OF
the baby.
In none is this so likely TO be
true as in the deformities Of the
foot.
The baby can't stand. so no
one can see actually how the
foot looks in action. and then
babies feet are so funny any
way-the soles face each other,
and all that.
So many precious months are
wasted. while the tissues are
getting tougher and tougher and
harder and harder 10 replace in
the normal position.
THE foot deformities OF the
l. newborn. as well classified
by DR.. Frederick r. Thompson
of New York, are the result
OF contractures holding a sec
ton of the foot in Q position
which is part Of its usual
range of normal motion.
Thus the foot may be held
with the toe end down so that
the heel can never be placed
fiat on the floor.
This is obviously due TO
shortening of the tough tendon
that goes from the back OF the
heel into the calf.
Clubfoot Is a fixation OF the
foot in the position where the
toes are looking at the instep
OF the other foot.
IT is a perfectly normal posi-
L ton within the normal
range of motion OF the foot. but,
OF course. not normal If held
there by bands Of tendons and
connective tissue which will not
allow il TO swing back through
the rest of its normal range.
Nobody knows exactly the
cause of these contractures.
Best guess is that before
birth the child's body gets in a
position where the foot is held
against some other part of the
body until contracture results.
Treatment is by slow stretch
ing of the foot tissues i'm the
line of normal Joint motion.
For this cast and stretching
manipulations are used before
the child has learned to walk,
and special shoes which stretch
the adhesive bands when walk
ing begins.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS