Visit with Baby Aren

This week, I had the chance to meet a delightful baby with unilateral clubfoot. Baby Aren who is around 9 months old is in the boots & bars for naps and night phase. His mother, Larissa, was happy to share a wealth of information she's gleaned in the past months.

Larissa only became aware of Aren's condition upon birth. A twin, he was premature and delivered at Mt. Sinai hospital. The close working relationship between Sick Kids and the Mt.Sinai NICU allowed for an in hospital assessment before Aren was released. His twin brother has no evidence of Talipes.

Caring for twins is a great deal of work, so hats off to Larrisa for her positive outlook and amazing work with her boys. His foot looks fantastic and he's a strong baby with an amazing sense of determination.

It was great to see photos of Aren's casts and see boots & bars in action. She placed them on for me and shared a lot of tips. Some of the top ones I'll try to remember are:

• Checking the toes regularly during the casting phases to ensure circulation
• Changing those lovely poopy blowouts requires patience and good luck. Sometimes poop in/on the cast in inevitable
• Have celebrations for each cast removal/replacement - it is one step towards the final goal
• Use sleep sacks instead of blankets
• Aim for a snug, not tight, fit on the boots
  
• Look for thin, long socks (H&M and Old Navy are best bets) for comfort under the boots & bars
• The Quick Clip Mitchell boots are a breeze to get on and off. Tasks like grocery shopping and clothing changes seem a lot easier now!
  
• When boots & bars are on for naps & night, place the braces on at least an hour before bed and take them off at least an hour after baby wakes. This helps to reduce the association between the brace and bed
• Place some tubing insulation on the brace, this will help reduce the noise when it hits their crib during sleep
  
• Diaper changes with boots & bars are actually easier, just lift the bar and go!

Aren didn't protest his braces when she tried them on for me. His twin brother is curious about why he doesn't get to wear them. Very cute!!!

A big thank you to Larissa and Aren. :-)