There are so many developmental boxes and milestones to stay on top of with growing kids, and you want to make sure you’re covering all of your bases.
When it comes to kids’ foot health, we want to discuss some very common pediatric conditions — flat feet and in-toeing, which is also referred to as pigeon-toed. And by common, consider this: All babies are born with flat feet and millions of infants exhibit some form of in-toeing.
As experts in pediatric podiatry, Dr. Mariola Rivera, Dr. Lisa Shah, Dr. Alyssa Aquilino and the rest of our team at Aesthetic Podiatry & Sports Medicine Center want to provide some key information every parent should know about flat feet and in-toeing in kids.
When your child comes into the world, they’re born with naturally flat feet, which means there are no support arches in the midfoot. So, when a child places a foot on the ground, it goes completely flat.
As we mentioned, flat feet in kids is perfectly normal. This is because infants aren’t yet walking. In most cases, once a child takes to their feet to navigate their world, their arches should slowly develop. Most kids should have fully developed arches by the age of 10.
If your child continues to have flat feet after the age of 10 or if they’re experiencing any foot pain or gait issues, we want you to come see us so we can evaluate their feet.
Now let’s look at in-toeing in kids, which is incredibly common. As the name suggests, in-toeing is when your child’s feet turn inward. There are three types of in-toeing, including:
This type of in-toeing describes a condition in which the child’s forefeet are curved inward, creating a sort of C shape along the outsides of their feet.
Matatarsus adductus should start to fade early, and at about 4-6 months, your baby’s feet should start to straighten out. If their feet are still curved at 6-9 months, come see us for an evaluation
Internal tibial Torsion
This is a type of in-toeing that stems from a rotated lower leg bone. As the child grows, the tibia should untwist and straighten out, which will allow their feet to point straight forward.
If your child’s tibial torsion doesn’t straighten out by 8 or 9 years old and it’s causing problems with tripping and discomfort, please come see us.
Congenital femoral anteversion
This type of in-toeing occurs in about 10% of kids, so it’s very common. With femoral aversion, the in-toeing is the result of a thighbone that’s rotated inward at the hip.
In most cases, femoral aversion fades as the child grows and the bones untwist. By the age of 8, most cases of femoral aversion should correct themselves. If your child is still in-toeing due to femoral aversion after the age of 8, see us for an evaluation.
If you’re at all on the fence about whether your child’s flat feet or in-toeing might benefit from specialized care and oversight, please err on the side of caution and come see us.
For expert pediatric foot care, we invite you to contact us online or by phone 914-328-3400 or 914-939-4101 at one of our offices in Purchase or White Plains, New York, to schedule a consultation.
