CP--braces on lower leg

emkirkley · Feb 7, 2013

I have a friend who has a 23 month old like I do, she has him rear facing in a Briatax Marathon I believe, but I could be wrong, I know it's a Britax.

They have turned him forward facing because sitting in the seat rear facing makes his braces jam into his foot and the back of his leg/knee. He won't sit with them propped straight up on the seat back, and he can't cross because of the braces either.

She wants to know if anyone has experience with a seat that would give him enough leg room to wear the braces without hurting because of the way his legs are crammed up. I have an evenflo symphony that has lots of leg room, and I told her she could try some at TRU/BRU, but she was wanting someone with more experience than me since I don't have a child in braces.

jess71903 · Feb 7, 2013

How is his tone? If he had a seat with low sides, could he throw his legs over the sides? If so, a Radian might be an option. A Triumph has lots of room, as does a True Fit and Complete Air. If his tone allows, she may need to cross his legs for him when she puts him in. My son wears braces, too, and can sit cross-legged quite comfortably, but his tone in his legs is low.

Chely7425 · Feb 7, 2013

Pretty much every seat out there will have more leg room... The MyRide has a ton of leg room, as does the TrueFit

emkirkley · Feb 8, 2013

jess71903 said:
How is his tone? If he had a seat with low sides, could he throw his legs over the sides? If so, a Radian might be an option. A Triumph has lots of room, as does a True Fit and Complete Air. If his tone allows, she may need to cross his legs for him when she puts him in. My son wears braces, too, and can sit cross-legged quite comfortably, but his tone in his legs is low.

I'm not 100% on everything, from what I've gathered on FB his hips are actually very tight and that combined with foot/ankle weakness was part of why it took so long for him to walk with with the pushables, which maybe another part of not crossing the legs, I'm not sure how flexible he is through the hip to be able to turn out. She says that crossing them makes them hurt his ankles...so I'm not sure about it. I haven't seen them in months, they don't live her, but her family does...he's apparently very tight in some areas, but very weak/nonsupported in others.

He sat and crawled in normal ranges, but standing and walking and speaking are where his current deficits lie from my understanding--he's signing well, and walking with the braces...they got the CP diagnosis at like 15months, right around the time their daughter was born, and they were very surprised by the diagnosis.

4boysmom · Feb 8, 2013

When you say brace do you mean a plastic afo or something else? Mt kiddo has one tall (goes to very upper tibia I'd say 3/4s up his leg and one high ankle afo. He used to sit in a radian and is now in a size 4 me 70. He just outgrew the EFTA rfing by weight in my moms car and he did start to seem a bit squished in that recently as well. He is 38 mo

emkirkley · Feb 8, 2013

4boysmom said:
When you say brace do you mean a plastic afo or something else? Mt kiddo has one tall (goes to very upper tibia I'd say 3/4s up his leg and one high ankle afo. He used to sit in a radian and is now in a size 4 me 70. He just outgrew the EFTA rfing by weight in my moms car and he did start to seem a bit squished in that recently as well. He is 38 mo

I have asked a few questions from her and not gotten a response...her grandmother passed away 2 days ago so I assume they are traveling. From the pictures, they appear to be plastic with a metal hinge down at the heel/ankle and velcro straps in a couple places. Shes says the velcro at the ankle and the plastic pushing into the back of his knee is what is causing the problem, they appear to go from the foot to the top of the calf...I'll get more info when I can.

TyAndCheyMommy · Feb 8, 2013

At that age my daughter (with extremely tight muscles) was rear facing in an Graco MyRide. It gave her awesome space for her legs. She was not able to throw her legs over the side of the radian or pull her legs into her at all (cris cross).

jubgulia · Feb 8, 2013

My almost 3 year old son wears AFOs like that (going up the calf) but without hinges (holds at 90° angle) and is quite comfortable RF in the Maxi-Cosi Pria. He's 33" and 25 lbs.

christineka · Feb 9, 2013

TyAndCheyMommy said:
At that age my daughter (with extremely tight muscles) was rear facing in an Graco MyRide. It gave her awesome space for her legs. She was not able to throw her legs over the side of the radian or pull her legs into her at all (cris cross).

Did you have an sk radian or a diono radian? The diono radian has the sides that fold down and are flat. Imo, the diono is more comfortable for rear-facing legs.

TyAndCheyMommy · Feb 9, 2013

christineka said:
Did you have an sk radian or a diono radian? The diono radian has the sides that fold down and are flat. Imo, the diono is more comfortable for rear-facing legs.

We have an radian that no matter how flat her legs can't go off to sides because of her tone.
Think of the old "stiff as a board" saying- that is my daughter.

CP--braces on lower leg

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