Introduction
Talipes is when a newborn baby’s foot or feet turn inwards and point downwards. There are 2 types: positional and structural. These would usually be checked, if present, before you and the baby go home.
If a baby has positional talipes, you can stretch the foot out into a normal position and encourage movements (described below), and this normally gets better in 2 to 3 months.
If a baby has structural talipes, the foot will be stiff and the position won’t correct. This type is often found during prenatal scanning and needs treatment at either your local hospital, if they have a service, or at a specialist children’s hospital. You would be referred to this service either by the ward doctor or midwife or the health visitor/GP once you go home.
In Somerset, talipes services are offered at both Musgrove Park Hospital and Yeovil Hospital. They are led by a children’s orthopaedic consultant and a specialist paediatric physiotherapist.
What can you do to help positional talipes?
You can help your baby’s foot/feet get better faster by doing the following stretches each time you change your baby’s nappy. Leave your baby lying on their changing mat so that they are supported while you do the exercises. Remove socks so that the baby has bare feet.
Stretches step 1
- Hold the heel firmly between your thumb and fingers.
- With your other hand, hold the front of the foot just underneath the toes.
- Bring the front of the foot across so that it is straight in line with the heel.
- Hold for 10 seconds.
Stretches step 2
- Start with the foot in a straight position as in step 1.
- Pull down on the heel as you lift the front of the foot up toward the shin.
- Make sure that you are not only lifting the toes but the whole foot.
- Hold for 10 seconds.
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the other foot if both feet are affected.
Encouraging active foot movements
- Stroke the outside of the baby’s foot from the toes to the heel. You may see that this makes them turn out their foot. Repeat 5 times with each affected foot.
- If this does not seem to make foot movement, try stroking or tickling other parts of their feet. You can do these exercises while playing with your baby and at nappy changes.
- Keep doing these exercises until there is no longer a worry about the position of the foot.
- Speak to your health visitor or GP if you see only a little improvement within a month of starting the exercises or one foot feels different to the other side (if one foot is affected).
Last reviewed February 2026