Readers Digest - Re: Clubfoot/Ponseti method press kit

[Guest guest]

April 27, 2000

Readers Digest

Box 100

Pleasantville, New York 10572-0100

RE: The Ponseti " Non-Surgical " Method of Treatment for Congenital

Clubfoot

Dear Readers Digest:

We are writing to encourage you to reprint the attached article from

Babytalk Magazine called " A Gentler Cure for Clubfoot " by Dana

Asher. Babytalk magazine is from the publishers of Parenting

Magazine.

As background to this story, Clubfoot occurs in approximately 1 in

750 births with about 5,000 cases per year in the US and

approximately 130,000 to 150,000 annual births worldwide.

From the books, internet web sites and doctors I have read, seen or

talked to, it seems that almost all doctors begin treatment with

manipulations and casting. After 3-5 months of casting, the

majority of doctors are not able to correct the feet unless a major

ankle surgery is used. This major surgery appears to currently be

done for 65-95% of children born with clubfoot (the rate of surgery

depends on the severity and the doctor).

In the late 1940's, Dr. Ignacio Ponseti of the University of Iowa,

developed a different type of manipulation and casting procedure

that allowed those who use it to correctly position the feet in 2-3

months without the use of the major surgery for 95% of the children

they see. The University of Iowa has done 4 long term studies on

the results of this method of treatment which showed that the

patients feet were nearly normal when compared to a population of

similar age born with normal feet. Even with all of the information

showing that this is an excellent method of treatment that avoids

the major surgery (or surgeries), there are now only about 20 of the

550-600 pediatric orthopedists in the US that now use this method.

Recently, 85 year old Dr. Ignacio Ponseti and the University of Iowa

put this information on the internet at the highly acclaimed

internet Virtual Hospital. That web site is found at

http://www.vh.org/pediatric/patient/orthopaedics/clubfeet/index.html

There parents from all over the United States and the world could

read of this method and decide for themselves if they would like to

try it before allowing their child to have the major surgery.

In the past year, there have now been about 35 parents who learned

about this method on the internet and took their child to a Ponseti

method doctor. There have been about 20 of these parents who had

been told by their prior doctors that their child would have to have

the major ankle surgery. After changing to a Ponseti method doctor

only 1 child has actually needed to have the major surgery. The

other 15 parents learned about the method early enough that they

began treatment initially with a Ponseti method doctor.

The internet Ponseti method parents have organized a parent support

web site which is located at

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/nosurgery4clubfoot/ and are

doing all we can to find ways to get the information about this

successful, proven " non-surgical " method of treatment available to

those without internet access. I have enclosed a copy of the

Babytalk article as well as an abbreviated version of our son's

story with photos. I have also enclosed copies of parts of Dr.

Ponseti's articles from his web site, a copy of a video of the

procedure and a letter from a Dr. Feldman (Chief of Pediatric

Orthopedic Surgery at NYU's Hospital for Joint Diseases) who

recently began using the Ponseti method. All of my photo's and

story are available for your use although you should check with the

other sources about the availability of their information for

publication.

It is my hope that many other parents who face the difficult

decisions of what kind of treatment methods are available for their

child may be able to have this information to help them in knowing

the alternative " non-surgical " treatment methods available to them.

Sincerely,

and Allyson Egbert and our son (3-17-99)

1270 Imperia Drive

, Nevada 89052

martinegbert@...