Question
At 21 days old, a newborn was found to have both feet in a clubfoot position, with the main symptom being foot inversion. Although the toes are mobile and there are no abnormalities in the movement of the sole, as it is a congenital disease, no checks or treatments have been carried out. The concern is whether surgery should be performed immediately or whether professional medical guidance should be sought?
Answer
Clubfoot is a common foot deformity in infants, characterized by the inward contraction and inversion of the forefoot. The incidence rate among newborns is approximately 0.1% to 4.5%, with males being more common than females, and unilateral occurrence more frequent than bilateral. The diagnosis of the disease is usually not difficult, and it can be divided into congenital and acquired according to the cause of onset. Congenital clubfoot can be detected at birth. As for acquired clubfoot, it may be caused by cerebral palsy, spina bifida, or other injuries.