Club foot baby’s parents are target of cruel comments

Eleven-month-old Hayden Outterson was born with bilateral talipes, also known as club foot, and has undergone a number of medical procedures which have left his legs in casts.

But his parents, Tasha Kelly, 28, and Kevin Outterson, 29, said people often questioned what was wrong with Hayden and some had even accused them of child abuse. The couple said they hoped to raise awareness of the condition, which affects one in 1,000 people.

Tasha, of Constantine Avenue in Tang Hall, said: “When people see a baby with casts on their legs they can think the worst. We have encountered this many times … there were even whispers that we had broken our baby’s legs.

“On one occasion we even got followed by a member of staff when we went shopping. They were giving us the most disgusting looks.

“We just want for people not to assume the worst. I want people to know about the condition and to be supportive.”

Hayden’s disorder means that his feet are twisted inwards. To correct this he has had to wear casts on his feet and has recently had an operation on the tendons on the back of his ankles.

He also has to wear tight and uncomfortable boots held together with a bar for hours at a time.

The couple were encouraged to speak about Hayden’s condition by the national charity STEPS, which is holding an awareness week to promote treatment of the condition. Sue Banton, the charity’s director, said: “People in the UK really aren’t aware of the number of children who are born with club foot or what to do if they have a child with the condition and we want this to change.

“We would like to ensure that every parent who has a child with this condition knows what the best treatment is and where they can access it.”

For more information visit steps-charity.org.uk

What exactly is bilateral talipes?

Talipes is a deformity of the foot in which one or both feet are twisted out of shape or into the wrong position. One in 1,000 babies is born with talipes and it is twice as common in boys.

Talipes can be caused by abnormal pressure on the foot while it is developing, as a result of positioning in the womb, or by a combination of factors such as a genetic predisposition or a condition where there is a shortage of amniotic fluid around the baby in the womb.