In Bangladesh, the sound of ululation and happiness frequently fills the air upon the birth of a child. However, that happiness is immediately overshadowed by uncertainty and anxiety for thousands of families each year. Parents’ hearts drop as they witness their newborn’s feet bent inward, resembling the head of a golf club—a condition known locally as “Mugur Pa” or Clubfoot.
As a specialist in this industry, I have seen this situation numerous times. It’s a heartbreaking moment, but more significantly, it calls for instant hope. For the simple reason that clubfoot is not a curse. It is a medical disease that can be entirely treated.
In Bangladesh, Clubfoot is one of the most common birth defects. According to data from the Walk for Life project (the national clubfoot program of Bangladesh) and international health organizations, approximately 4,000 to 5,000 children are born with this condition in our country every year. Globally, 1 in every 800 babies is born with clubfoot.
This statistic is crucial because it tells parents: You are not alone. This is not a rare punishment inflicted upon your family; it is a common congenital condition that affects millions of people worldwide, including famous athletes and artists who went on to live extraordinary lives after treatment.
Despite notable scientific progress in Bangladesh, many harmful myths continue to shape social attitudes, especially in rural and semi-urban communities, where the burden of blame is unfairly placed on mothers. One widespread belief links clubfoot to eclipses—claiming that a mother cut vegetables or used a knife during a solar or lunar eclipse while pregnant, causing the baby’s feet to twist.
Another painful myth frames the condition as a punishment for past sins or a curse from God. These beliefs have no basis in truth. Medical science clearly shows that clubfoot occurs due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors and happens by chance. No action taken by a mother during pregnancy causes this condition. Holding a mother responsible for her child’s clubfoot is not only scientifically incorrect, but deeply unjust and cruel.
In Bangladesh, a child with untreated clubfoot often faces a life of isolation. They may be unable to wear shoes, unable to walk to school comfortably, and eventually, unable to work. But the emotional scar is deeper. The staring eyes of neighbors and the hushed whispers create a social barrier that disables the child more than the twisted feet ever could.
We must raise our voices against this discrimination. A child’s right to walk and play is a fundamental human right. Ignoring this, or allowing a child to grow up disabled because of the fear of “what people will say,” is a collective injustice.
The most important message we must share is that major surgery is now rarely needed for clubfoot. Bangladesh has made remarkable progress by adopting the Ponseti Method, which is recognized worldwide as the gold standard for clubfoot treatment.
This method is non-invasive, affordable, and highly effective, with a success rate of over 95 percent when treatment begins early. Soon after birth—ideally within the first few weeks—a trained practitioner gently stretches and corrects the baby’s foot, followed by the application of a plaster cast to maintain the improved position. The cast is changed weekly for about five to eight weeks.
In most cases, a small and painless procedure called tenotomy is then performed to release tightness in the Achilles tendon. Once the foot is fully corrected, the child wears a special brace during sleep to prevent the deformity from returning. Importantly, this treatment is widely available across Bangladesh.
Organizations such as Walk for Life, working in partnership with government and non-government institutions, operate clinics in dozens of districts and medical college hospitals, and in many cases, the treatment is provided free of cost or at a heavily subsidized rate.
We are standing at a critical moment in public health. The cure exists, the clinics are in place, and skilled doctors are ready to help—yet widespread awareness is still missing. If you are reading this, you are already part of the solution. Look around your community and notice newborns or young children with twisted feet; do not turn away.
Approach their families with empathy and respect, not judgment, and reassure them with simple, hopeful words: “This can be fixed.” Then take the next step by guiding them to the nearest dedicated clubfoot clinic or hospital. A single conversation, a small act of guidance from you, can change the entire course of a child’s life.
As I look at the new generation of babies born in Bangladesh, I feel a mix of anxiety and hope. The anxiety comes from knowing that some of these children might face neglect due to ignorance. But the hope comes from knowing that we have the power to change that narrative. Let us reject the darkness of superstition and step into the light of science and compassion. Let us ensure that no child in Bangladesh is left behind simply because they were born with feet that look a little different. Let us acknowledge the pain—but more importantly, let us share the cure.
Author:Sumit Banik Public Health Activist and Trainer. E-mail: [email protected]
