Clubfoot

The exact causes of clubfoot are not known. In the past, doctors thought that the
baby’s feet were twisted or cramped because of the way the baby lay in its mother’s
womb. This is true of some foot abnormalities that correct themselves after birth.
Scientists now believe that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to
clubfoot. Environmental factors may include infection, drug use and cigarette
smoking. One study found that women with a family history of clubfoot who smoked
cigarettes during pregnancy had a 20-fold increased risk of having an affected baby
(6).

Most children with clubfoot have no other birth defects, though occasionally other
defects do occur. In a few cases, clubfoot occurs as part of a syndrome that includes a
number of birth defects. For example, children with spina bifida (open spine)
sometimes have a form of clubfoot. This is caused by damaged spinal nerves that
affect the legs. In other cases, feet that are normal at birth may become twisted as a
result of muscle or nerve diseases.