The Burkett Bundle

Maybe I spoke too soon. Or maybe it's good that I celebrated when I had the chance. Either way, medical intervention will soon be making its way back into our lives.

We were told last week that Karyssa and Kyran are most likely diplegic, which is a common form of Cerebral Palsy in preemies. She uses the term "most likely", because it is very hard to tell in children before they are of walking age, but they both have extra tone in their legs that causes them to point their feet and curl their toes in. These are signs that they will be "toe-walkers", which, according to our PT, is a very hard habit to break. If they do have it, it is very mild and should not have any long-lasting effects. She said that walking at 14 months is a very realistic goal.

So, from a very preventative, proactive standpoint, she and Dr. Bartlett have decided that the babies can benefit from ankle braces, as well as the assistance of medical standers and walkers.

Now, when I first heard the words "ankle braces", my mind immediately went to Forrest Gump and the braces that he wore on his legs. That is not the case with these. The ankle braces they will wear are very small, plastic pieces that keep their feet at a right angle. I can't find a picture online, but as soon as theirs come in, I will post pictures so that you can see them. Kyran's will be blue with soccer balls, and Karyssa's will be pink with butterflies.

Unlike Karyssa's DOC band, these will only need to be worn during waking hours when the babies may be crawling or up on their feet, and they may need them for 6-9 months.

According to the PT, her recommendation is based on very cutting-edge research. Previously, braces were recommended for children over one year who were already walking on their toes. New research has shown that using the braces prior to the children walking, helps to eliminate any toe-walking or lingering problems.

In fact, they do not make shoes small enough to fit over the braces that the babies will have, so they will be putting non-slip soles on the bottoms of them, and Kyran and Karyssa will most likely wear normal shoes when we leave the house.

Their legs were casted for the braces last week, and we should be getting them within the next two weeks. I will keep you posted on their progress and development using the braces.

On another note, Kyran is starting to sit unassisted for several seconds on his own! He is now reaching for and grabbing things on a frequent basis, and although he still likes to play on his back and sleep on his stomach, he is tolerating much more tummy time now.

Karyssa's army crawl picks up more speed every day, and we are working on her pulling herself into a sitting position and rocking on her hands and knees.