How to keep toddler in afo's comfortable in heat?

[999miles]

Hi! Our daughter just received her first pair of afo's, which need to be worn with knee socks to keep them from pulling or pinching. She is 18 months old and has the diagnosis of cerebral palsy, shunted hydrocephalus, and has a feeding tube.

anybody have any tricks to help keep her comfortable in the heat? We are familiar with the das and are going in December this year, which should help. We also use a portable fan to keep air circulating through her stroller. I'm just wondering if there is anything else we can be doing.

Photo for cuteness.

 

[wilkeliza]

What type of socks are you using? There are some socks that are made with athletic material and I find they actually keep me cool. I would see if there is a toddler equivalent of those.

She def is a cutie!

 

[Jen_in_NH]

Honestly, my son hated his afo in the heat. The socks they gave us with them were the best for the heat, other ones had seams. Even something wicking or such didn't help in the heat, since the foam of the afo doesn't breathe well.

We found a fan helpful, as well as bringing a few pairs of socks every day so we could change them if they got damp.

My son hates the heat, and minds it a lot. We did get some of the cooling towels to use on his head and neck when he was riding in the stroller to help cool him off. We also planned lots of inside shows or rides for early afternoon to avoid lots of sun.

 

[redberyl]

We take a vacation from the Dafos when we go to disney. She spends most of her time in her stroller anyway, hardly walks at all, so we just take a break for the week

 

[999miles]

Wonderful suggestion! Thank you. We live up north so I just pulled out a pair of regular weight knee socks to break them in but I need to buy more. I'll look for some toddler athletic socks too!

What type of socks are you using? There are some socks that are made with athletic material and I find they actually keep me cool. I would see if there is a toddler equivalent of those.

She def is a cutie!

 

[999miles]

Thanks! I'll ask her pt about just going without them. She isn't bearing any weight right now but we expect that she will be able to by December.

We take a vacation from the Dafos when we go to disney. She spends most of her time in her stroller anyway, hardly walks at all, so we just take a break for the week

 

[redberyl]

Last time we got new braces they gave us a pamphlet for shoes specifically made to be worn over the Dafos, and they make special sandals to go with them. You would still need socks under, but the sandals might offer more airflow than sneakers would.

 

[mamabunny]

What an adorable little nugget you have!

Our daughter has been wearing AFOs since before her first birthday. (She's 23 now, btw!) Her's were prescribed for orthopedic issues. Remember that as she grows and you buy new shoes to always have her fitted in person; AFOs can add anywhere from a size to 2 sizes to the shoe, as well as adding width in some cases. To this day, our daughter can't just order up a pair of shoes from the Internet.

If she isn't weight-bearing yet, you may (talk to her medical team) be able to just keep them off during the day... and then once the sun goes down, and the heat is not so unbearable, pop them on.

Good socks that "wick" away sweat are important - as is frequent changes. I have been carrying 2 bags of socks in my purse for so long now it's second nature - one with clean socks... one for dirty socks! LOL

Remember that there is an adjustment period; in general babies and toddlers will adjust quicker, but it's still important to follow any "ramp up" instructions. (For example, when she switched for a time from AFOs to SFOs, she wore them for 2 hours on/2 hours off, then 4 hours on/4hours off, etc. until we reached 12 hours)

I hope she has the most Magical time!

 

[dismom57]

We are in the vacation from AFO's camp. They are very warm and in our case the shoes were also heavy, but DS was not walking. We could do some standing and stretching time without them. There is also an issue of sudden downpours and keeping or getting everything dry again.

 

[Bearshouse]

After nearly 15 years in AFO's we recommend the smartknit socks. Sometimes insurance would pay for them since they are designed for the AFO's but not always. They are really amazing and hold up well. We always take a break when we are on vacation from them. Enjoy your vacation.

 

[gap2368]

Get a stroller as a wheel chair tag

 

[Mommee]

Last time we got new braces they gave us a pamphlet for shoes specifically made to be worn over the Dafos, and they make special sandals to go with them. You would still need socks under, but the sandals might offer more airflow than sneakers would.

do you happen to know where they could be bought? is it a certain store or do I need to take her to the orthotist to order them? My daughter would LOVE sandals that work with her braces!

 

[redberyl]

do you happen to know where they could be bought? is it a certain store or do I need to take her to the orthotist to order them? My daughter would LOVE sandals that work with her braces!

I can't seem to findthe website, I will see if they still have the pamphlets when we go to therapy next week

 

[stitchlovestink]

I don't have any suggestions for you but wanted to tell you how absolutely adorable your little one is!!! So cute!!!

 

[wilkeliza]

Not sure if these are the ones the PP was talking about but found these online. They are even designed completley different then regular shoes so your foot slips in from the back and it is attached on the sides instead of standard lacing. The insides are also specially designed to accommodate AFOs and other similar devices.

http://www.easyup-shoes.com/children-afo-shoes/

These are super expensive though so not sure about buying for a kid. Maybe something similar is available that isn't so expensive.