When to start treatment?

This is the most common question asked by parents. Unfortunately, the answers are often not consistent with current medical knowledge. What’s more, when is the best time to start treatment?

Metatarsus adductus is a rather non-obvious foot defect, because on the one hand, as many as 87% of cases can „heal on their own” without any intervention. On the other hand, waiting too long for it to „fix itself” or for the effects of physiotherapy means that at some point it is too late to start the proper therapy.

The optimal time to start treatment is the first month of a child’s life. Why? Because the whole family has a quiet time to adapt to the new reality with a child at home, but also because we can successfully start treatment when the child’s foot reaches 7 cm in length, because then we can use a very effective UNFO orthosis and completely eliminate the need to apply serial dressings and then a foot abduction brace (FAB) to the child. The treatment period is shortened to the maximum and at the same time it is not problematic.

Considering that the treatment brings the best results until the child is able to walk independently, starting it in the first month of life is the best solution and at the same time the treatment will be completed on time.

When as a parent you are waiting for this most optimal time:

• look for good knowledge, sort the information – a reliable source is the website HTTPS://MTAFOOT.COM
• join the group for parents run by our Foundation: METATARSUS ADDUCTUS
• get to know the deformity as much as possible
• understand the treatment and its nuances
• plan where you will treat your child, look at it from a logistical perspective: travel to check the use of the UNFO orthosis or weekly changes of plaster casts
• take some time to think about what to do with your siblings (if you have other children) when you travel with your little one
• learn to say „NO” when someone tells you inadequate information and tells you to do something right away
• be able to refute arguments and logically, calmly and objectively explain what you want and what you don’t want
• ask questions and don’t be put off by superficial answers
• find the right SPECIALIST

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Photos (in order on page):
1.Banner: Photo by Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash
2. Photo by Apostolos Vamvouras on Unsplash