About Steps

Following ‘Is it a boy or a girl?’ the next question is usually ‘Are all the fingers and toes there?’

Sadly, for a number of newborn babies, all the fingers and toes are not there.  These babies, born with a defect where the development of the bones in the growing foetus has been interrupted, are born with shortened and malformed limbs or the total absence of a limb. 

Some babies have a fully formed limb but the tendons and ligaments in the foot have not developed properly resulting in a condition called Congenital Talipes Equinovarus (CTEV), also called club foot.

Other conditions are not visible or develop slowly as the child grows such as hip conditions like Development Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH).  These and less common conditions would, if left untreated, result in walking difficulties throughout life.

steps has been offering support to parents and professionals for over 20 years via its helpline, publications and more recently its website www.steps-charity.org.uk. 

Each year steps organises an annual event that reviews the current thinking on lower limb abnormalities and allows interaction with experts (such as orthopaedic consultants) in an informal setting, as well as bringing families together who share similar experiences.

steps has a comprehensive database of family contacts and is developing a consultants information database that can be used by both individuals and professionals. 

Research is an important area in which steps is participating. Current initiatives include the ECCE study (Exploring the Causes of Clubfoot in Europe) with the University of Aberdeen and the charity is also actively involved in prosthesis research and Baby Hip Health Week.

Our history

Two decades ago, families of children with lower limb abnormalities had nowhere to turn.  This was the situation Sue Banton found herself in following the birth of her son Daniel with clubfeet. 

The frustration and isolation she faced motivated her to set up steps as a self-help group in 1980. 

Eight years later, steps became a registered charity and now helps over 2,000 families a year.

Over the years steps has expanded and its helpline has received many calls from both parents and professionals. 

The development of its website has enabled steps to exchange information with people from all over the world, and the discussion forum has attracted a lot of interest. All of these are areas which steps would like to develop.