A Professor specializing in Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Mike Ogirima, stated that congenital clubfoot, also known as idiopathic clubfoot, can be effectively treated without surgery through a manipulative technique called the Ponseti method.
This nonsurgical approach involves the use of casts and braces to restore normal foot function in children with clubfoot.
Dr. Ogirima, a former President of the Nigerian Medical Association, emphasized that physical manipulations can successfully treat clubfoot and render surgical intervention unnecessary.
Although the exact cause of idiopathic clubfoot remains unknown, he highlighted the importance of early intervention to avoid lifelong disability, pain, walking difficulties, social stigma, and barriers to education and economic opportunities associated with untreated clubfoot.
To address the issue of disability resulting from clubfoot in Nigeria, Dr. Ogirima stressed the need for parents to seek prompt treatment for children born with congenital deformities.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, clubfoot is a common congenital condition characterized by inward-turning feet, affecting approximately one in every 1,000 newborns.
“Clubfoot happens because of an issue with your child’s tendons, the tissues that connect muscle to bone.
“The tendons in your baby’s leg and foot are shorter and tighter than they should be. That causes the foot to twist. About half of babies with clubfoot have an issue with both feet”, the clinic stated.
Nigeria sees at least 10,000 clubfoot cases annually, says Nigeria Clubfoot Treatment Partners. While the exact cause remains unknown, experts point to genetic and environmental factors like family history, smoking, and pregnancy medications.
However, Professor Ogirima, a bone specialist and Provost of Federal University Lokoja’s College of Health Sciences, urges parents to abandon spiritual explanations, which hinder treatment and perpetuate stigma.
He advocates for debunking myths to address the stigma surrounding clubfoot.
Giving insight into the treatment of clubfoot and reasons children should be presented early to orthopaedic surgeons, the don mentioned, “In the past, a lot of procedures were done which are not necessary most of the time now, that is a surgical operation.
“Treatment nowadays is more of a non-operative approach. It just involves physical manipulation. Surgical procedure is no longer necessary.
“Treatment is easier from day one of life and the commonest treatment that we offer now which can offer up to 95 per cent correction of this idiopathic type of clubfoot is what we call the Ponseti.
“So we go by what is called the Ponseti treatment protocol which involves serial manipulation of all the components of clubfoot. After four to five weeks (sessions) of manipulations, you should be able to correct it, even the severe form.”
Professor Ogirima voiced concern that despite growing awareness of clubfoot among orthopaedic surgeons, the condition remains stigmatized and shrouded in myths in Nigeria. This leads to delayed treatment, which increases costs and may require surgery.
He urged pregnant women to maintain a healthy diet, avoid alcohol consumption, and prevent folic acid deficiency to reduce the risk of birth defects, emphasizing the dangers of alcohol during pregnancy. Timely treatment is crucial, and awareness is key to dispelling myths and reducing stigma.
“It can affect the developing child. Then they should avoid radiation exposure and avoid the use of non-prescribed drugs during the first trimester of pregnancy. Even Paracetamol should be avoided as much as possible because nobody knows which drug can cause a defect except the associations that we have seen”, he counselled.
