From the moment your child enters the world, you watch closely as they develop at dizzying speeds, checking off important milestones along the way. When it comes to their all-important mobility, you’re worried if their toes seem to point more inward than straight ahead.
Called in-toeing, or pigeon toes, this condition is very common in kids, and the good news is that most kids grow out of it by the age of 3. That said, there are times when in-toeing can be more problematic. There is pediatric patients that might benefit from gait plates to induce out toe, in order to correct in-toe gait.
To shed some more light on this common pediatric foot issue, our team here at Aesthetic Podiatry & Sports Medicine Center, including Dr. Mariola Rivera and Dr. Lisa Shah, wants to devote this month’s blog post to in-toeing and pigeon toes.
There are three main causes of in-toeing and pigeon toes, and each is associated with an age and development range.
If you notice that one of your newborn’s feet is pointing inward — the top part of the foot curves to the inside, creating a C-shape on the outside of the foot — this is likely metatarsus adductus.
Babies are born with this condition, which can be caused by the positioning of the foot inside the uterus.
The good news is that this condition typically resolves itself by the age of one and before your child starts to really take to their feet.
If your child has started to walk and you notice that one or both feet point inward when they move, this is probably the result of a rotation in their shinbone. In most cases, this rotation straightens as your child and the bone grow.
If your child develops pigeon toes around the age of 4 or 5, this might be due to a rotation higher up in their legs — in their thigh bone, or femur.
Here again, this torsion self-corrects in most cases. By the age of 10, the pigeon toes should be a thing of the past. However, in some cases they are treated with custom made foot orthosis and early intervention physical therapy program.
As we mentioned, most pigeon toes do resolve on their own, but that’s not always the case.
For example, if your infant’s foot was severely curved at birth and is showing no signs of correcting itself, you might be dealing with a clubfoot, which requires treatment, the earlier the better.
The best way to figure out whether your infant has metatarsus adductus, in-toe gait or a clubfoot, is to bring them in for a quick visit so we can take a closer look.
If they start in-toeing at the same time as they gain mobility or afterward, keep an eye on it to make sure they’re not experiencing any discomfort or functional issues. Kids need to move around and explore their worlds, and the more they move, the more their little bodies begin to align.
But if their pigeon toes interfere with their ability to move around or they complain of pain, please come see us. These are not normal results of mild pigeon toes.
We always believe in erring on the side of caution when it comes to developmental issues like in-toeing and pigeon toes, so have us take a look, even if it’s just for your peace of mind.
If your child needs an evaluation the sooner the better when their bones still not fully developed , contact us online or by phone at one of our offices in Purchase or White Plains, New York, to schedule an appointment.
