FACT SHEET
As Children Grow…What To Expect
I’m often asked when is the best time to have children’s feet examined? An evaluation can be done at any age, however unless the child is walking it is hard to do a thorough evaluation, however hip, ankle and other joint range of motion can be tested prior to the child taking his or her first few steps.
Most parents will take their child to see a Podiatrist once the child starts walking and it is usually for flat feet, knocked knees, funny shaped toes or even early bunion formation. Usually they are concerned because the father or mother has a similar problem. Most of these concerns are part of normal development, which the child may or may not grow out of. Early bunion formation is never normal and should be evaluated as early as possible to find the cause.
Baby’s feet are not just a smaller version of an adult foot. At birth their feet are slightly inverted (twisted inwards in relation to the lower leg) and the foot itself contains a lot of fatty pad. This is why their feet look so flat when they first start walking.
From the time they are born up to about 6 years of age the foot slowly untwists and straightens up, so by the age of 6 to 7 their foot should now resemble an adult foot, only smaller. If the child’s feet are still flat after 7 years of age, then they are not going to grow out of it.
Was their anything you could have done to prevent this from happening? Possibly not, as there is always a hereditary component, however poorly fitting footwear (too big or too small) and using baby walkers can lead to structural problems and poor muscle development. Parents will often ask what’s the point in doing anything if it cannot be changed? The answer is simple. If you control the abnormal foot, you can avoid it causing developmental problems in other areas, especially the knees.
What to Expect:
As your child grows, they will go through many structural changes, some of which make parents panic because they seem to occur overnight (which they don’t, but it does seem that way). From birth, to about 2 years of age, most children are bow legged, then around 2 - 3 yrs of age their legs will change into a knock kneed position and stay that way for about another year or so, then slowly straighten leading up to about 6 years of age. Your child’s foot position can have a huge affect on the position of their knees and how well they develop.
Because children’s foot development is such a huge area to cover, it is impossible to write everything is one short article, so if you have concerns about your child’s feet, you should see a Podiatrist and put your mind at ease.
