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Aims: Talipes equinovarus (clubfoot) is a congenital lower foot deformity that results from a neuromuscular deficiency, but the precise etiology remains elusive. Vitamin D is important for fetal neuromuscular development. In this study, we investigated the association between dietary vitamin D intake during pregnancy and incidence of clubfoot in neonates, since such a question has thus far been overlooked., Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected in the United States, between 2007 and 2011 for a case-control study of children born with clubfoot. Participating mothers were interviewed by telephone about dietary and other health and life-style indicators. Exposure to vitamin D was recorded as the average daily intake of dietary vitamin D over a period of 6 months before pregnancy began. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression., Results: The dataset included 2667 study participants, of which 663 were cases. Logistic regression showed no significant association between dietary vitamin D or log 10 (Vitamin D) intake during pregnancy and incidence of clubfoot in neonates (OR = 1.00, CI = 1.00-1.00, OR = 1.51, CI = 0.83-2.82, respectively). No interaction in the regression model was found between vitamin D and other predictor variables. Results were not confounded by supplement intake of vitamin D during pregnancy., Conclusions: Results show no evidence of an association between dietary vitamin D intake and incidence of clubfoot in neonates. The lack of association is not confounded by consumption of vitamin D supplements during pregnancy., (© 2023 The Authors. Birth Defects Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Clubfoot, a common major structural malformation, develops early in gestation. Epidemiologic studies have identified higher risks among boys, first-born children, and babies with a family history of clubfoot, but studies of risks associated with maternal exposures are lacking. We conducted the first large-scale, population-based, case-control study of clubfoot with detailed information on maternal medication use in pregnancy. Study subjects were ascertained from birth defect registries in Massachusetts, New York, and North Carolina during 2007-2011. Cases were 646 mothers of children with clubfoot without other major structural malformations (i.e., isolated clubfoot); controls were mothers of 2,037 children born without major malformations. Mothers were interviewed within 12 months of delivery about medication use, including product, timing, and frequency. Odds ratios were estimated for exposure to 27 medications in pregnancy months 2-4 after adjustment for study site, infant sex, first-born status, body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)²), and smoking. Odds ratios were less than 1.20 for 14 of the medications; of the remainder, most odds ratios were only slightly elevated (range, 1.21-1.66), with wide confidence intervals. The use of antiviral drugs was more common in clubfoot cases than in controls (odds ratio = 4.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.52, 11.73). Most of these results are new findings and require confirmation in other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the late 1990s, renewed interest emerged in less invasive treatment options, most notably the Ponseti method, to correct idiopathic clubfoot deformity. Recently, reports from several centers have demonstrated that such minimally invasive techniques may be used reliably to correct this complex deformity. The present study sought to determine whether the rate of extensive surgical releases to treat idiopathic clubfoot in the United States has decreased. Methods: We used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to determine the number of live births, the number of patients diagnosed with clubfoot, and the number of extensive surgical releases that were performed each year from 1996 to 2006. The trends over time were evaluated with use of regression analysis, and changes in frequency were analyzed with use of time series analysis. The percentage of clubfeet that were treated with surgery in each year was calculated by dividing the number of surgical release procedures by the number of clubfoot diagnoses. Results: Between 1996 and 2006, the estimated number of patients under six months of age diagnosed with clubfoot remained fairly constant, averaging 2140 infants per year. The linear equation estimated a slight decrease of approximately thirty-one infants with clubfoot per year (R2 = 0.51, p < 0.05). In contrast, in the same decade, the estimated number of surgical releases performed in patients less than twelve months of age decreased substantially, from 1641 releases in 1996 to 230 releases in 2006. The linear equation estimated a decrease of approximately 157 surgical releases per year (R2 = 0.83, p < 0.05). The trend analysis indicated that the percentage of clubfeet treated with surgical release generally decreased over time at a rate of 6.7% per year, decreasing from just over 70% in 1996 to just over 10% in 2006 (R2 = 0.81, p < 0.05). Conclusions: In the United States between 1996 and 2006, the rate of extensive surgery to treat idiopathic clubfoot in patients less than twelve months old decreased substantially. This trend is likely due to an increased use of less invasive techniques, such as the Ponseti method, which a growing body of evidence has shown to be a viable treatment option for clubfoot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Both private and socialized healthcare systems require treatments to be not only effective, but also cost-efficient. Although the Ponseti method of clubfoot treatment is effective, its cost-effectiveness has not been demonstrated. We compared the difference in resource use between two prospective cohorts treated for clubfoot by either the Ponseti method or below-knee casting followed by primary surgical release in the socialized healthcare system of New Zealand. Using these cohorts and US billing data, costs of treating these cohorts in the US healthcare system were also calculated. Treatment of initial deformity, recurrences, and complications in both cohorts were included in the final assessment. Twenty-six patients (40 feet) were enrolled in the Ponseti cohort and 29 (46 feet) in the primary surgical cohort. For most patients, the Ponseti method was more cost-effective than the primary surgical treatment in both healthcare systems. The cost of treating both cohorts was lower in the socialized system than in the US healthcare system. Level of Evidence: Level II, prognostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nonoperative management of clubfoot with the Ponseti method has proven to be effective, and it is the accepted initial form of treatment. Although several studies have shown that problems with compliance with the brace protocol are principally responsible for recurrence, no distinction has been made with regard to whether the distance from the site of care affects the early recurrence rate. We compared early recurrence after Ponseti treatment between rural and urban ethnically diverse North American populations to analyze whether distance from the site of care affects compliance and whether certain patient demographic characteristics predict recurrence. Methods: One hundred consecutive infants with a total of 138 clubfeet treated with the Ponseti method were followed prospectively for at least two years from the beginning of treatment. Early recurrence, defined as the need for subsequent cast treatment or surgical treatment, and compliance, defined as strict adherence to the brace protocol described by Ponseti, were analyzed with respect to the distance from the site of care, age at presentation, number of casts needed for the initial correction, need for tenotomy, and family demographic variables. Results: Of eighteen infants from a rural area who had early recurrence, fourteen were Native American. The families of these children, like those of all of the children with early recurrence, discontinued orthotic use earlier than was recommended by the physician. Discontinuation of orthotic use was related to recurrence, with an odds ratio of 120 (p < 0.0001), in patients living in a rural area. Native American ethnicity, unmarried parents, public or no insurance, parental education at the high-school level or less, and a family income of less than $20,000 were also significant risk factors for recurrence in patients living in a rural area. Intrinsic factors of the clubfoot deformity were not correlated with recurrence or discontinuation of bracing. Conclusions: Compliance with the orthotic regimen after cast treatment is imperative for the Ponseti method to succeed. The striking difference in outcome in rural Native American patients as compared with the outcomes in urban Native American patients and children of other ethnicities suggests particular problems in communicating to families in this subpopulation the importance of bracing to maintain correction. An examination of communication styles suggested that these communication failures may be culturally related. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level I. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parents often access online resources to educate themselves when a child is diagnosed with clubfoot and/ or prior to treatment initiation. In order to be fully understood by the average adult American, online health information must be written at an elementary school reading level. It was hypothesized that current available online resources regarding clubfoot would score poorly on objective measures of readability (syntax reading grade-level), understandability (ability to process key messages), and actionability (providing actions the reader may take). Additionally, it was hypothesized that the outcomes measured would not correlate with the order of listed search results., Methods: Patient education materials were identified utilizing two independent online searches (Google.com) of the term "Clubfoot". From the top 50 search results, websites were included if directed at educating patients and their families regarding clubfoot. News articles, non-text material (video), research and journal articles, industry websites, and articles not related to clubfoot were excluded. The readability of included resources was quantified using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Grade, Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), Gunning-Fog Index( GFI) and Automated Reading Index (ARI). The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) was used to assess actionability and understandability using a 0-100% scale for both measures of interest., Results: Of the 55 unique websites, 37 websites (65.2%) met inclusion criteria. The mean FKGL was 9.2 (+/- 2.1) with only three websites (7.32%) having a reading level ≤6. Mean understandability and actionability scores were 67.2±12.6 and 25.4±25.2, respectively. Thirteen (35%) websites met the understandability threshold of ≥70% but no websites met the actionability criteria. No readability statistics were statistically associated with Google™ search rank (p=0.07). There was no association between readability (p=0.94) nor actionability (p=0.18) scores and Google™ rank. However, understandability scores did correlate with Google™ rank (p=0.02)., Conclusion: Overall, online clubfoot educational materials scored poorly with respect to readability, understandability, and actionability. There is an association with Google™ search rank for understandability of clubfoot materials. However, readability and actionability are not significantly associated with search rank. In the era of shared decision-making, efforts should be made by medical professionals to improve the readability, understandability, and actionability of online resources in order to optimize parent understanding and facilitate effective outcomes. Level of Evidence ., Competing Interests: Disclosures: The authors report no potential conflicts of interest related to this study., (Copyright © The Iowa Orthopaedic Journal 2021.)

Highlights major papers selected from the medical literature in the U.S. Comparison of the three treatment methods for congenital clubfoot; Factors responsible for toilet tissue vaginitis; Treatment of a Salmonella newport outbreak in a premature nursery.

Birth defects were reported in 5,210 of 520,000 babies born alive in the United States during the first five months of 1963. According to a study, at least one baby out of every 100 liveborn has a congenital defect observable at the time of birth. Cleft lip, cleft palate, clubfoot, and defects of the genitourinary system were the most common malformations reported. This study is the first phase in a long-range epidemiology program aimed at better understanding of the causes of cleft lip and cleft palate. For this purpose, comparisons of clefts with all other congenital malformations are being made, particularly with reference to relative frequency, completeness of reporting, and trends.