Take photos!

You might think that taking photos (and videos) of your child’s feet isn’t necessary or useful. Maybe you feel uncomfortable photographing or recording such “crooked feet.”
We’ve often heard parents say things like “Why do that?” or “It just reinforces the trauma.” Nothing could be further from the truth!

BEFORE YOU START

Before you begin treatment (and I encourage you not to rush into casting with a 24-hour-old baby – there’s a separate post explaining WHY YOU SHOULDN’T), give yourself time to get to know your baby and to create both mental and physical space around you. Take photos and videos of your baby’s feet before treatment begins, as these will serve as a reference point to track progress — or regression — during therapy. And there’s something more: taking these photos can actually help you (and others) learn to love this condition. Yes — love it. It needs to be loved.

DURING THE CASTING STAGE

Take photos (and videos) throughout the treatment — both of the casts themselves and of the feet between cast changes. Label and organize them in a folder, numbering each stage: first cast – after first cast – second cast – after second cast, and so on.

Photograph and record the feet from every angle and position. Ideally, each photo should be taken in the same setup and against a uniform background.
Why? Because this allows you to see whether the treatment is progressing correctly or not — whether the foot is starting to show signs of a COMPLEX CLUBFOOT, or other features that shouldn’t appear. Comparative photos and videos make it much easier to spot irregularities early and react quickly.

DURING BRACING AND DEVELOPMENT

The appearance of the feet during the bracing phase is also important — especially if the initial treatment wasn’t done correctly.

The bracing period is a natural part of your child’s development, meaning your child will go through all developmental milestones while wearing the brace.

Take photos and videos when your child goes through a growth spurt.
Take photos and videos when your child starts walking and when they walk confidently.
Take photos and videos as your child grows, stands on tiptoes, and stands on heels.

AFTER THE AGE OF 4 AND DURING GROWTH SPURTS

At this stage, the brace is usually no longer used, meaning it no longer maintains the feet in the correct position. Stay alert and continue taking photos and videos — they can be extremely helpful in quickly detecting a RELAPSE.

Take photos and videos when your child goes through periods of rapid growth (most often during the summer months and shortly after). This helps to spot irregularities early.

SADNESS AND REGRET

We often ask: “Do you have photos from between the cast changes?” And the answer is usually: “No, I don’t…” That’s a pity — because such photos could tell us much more about how the treatment progressed.

Even though a photo or video alone can’t provide a full diagnosis, it can still be a valuable tool in assessing the treatment and noticing important details.

So… grab your camera and start documenting!