My son started walking around 8 months old (he's 16 months now). I've noticed since his first birthday one foot seems turned in. My ped. said to make sure he wears his shoes a lot. My brother in law (a physical therapist) suggested switching his shoes to help turn his foot. Am I worried too early? I tried switching his shoes yesterday and they didn't appear uncomfortable. AND He could actually run without tripping himself. I am just wondering what other mom's have experienced with this issue. Is it possible for my son's feet to straighten out still without intervention? Thanks!
K.,
Don't be too worried. My son was severely bow-legged and his toes pointed inward. My pediatrician sent me to an orthopedic doctor when he was 18 months. The orthopedic doctor said that it was common for children to grow out of this. He said that it would be like watching grass grow. He was right! My son in now 4 years old and his legs are straight and his toes point forward.
I had a foot problem as a teenager. After xrays, doc discovered that I should have been pigeon toed...all of the bones in my feet were pointing inward...but since I was in ballet at a young age and still was at 16, my feet were trained to be straight. Now Im not saying to put your kiddo right into ballet, but it does give proof to the shoe switching theory. I think, though, that I would ask the ped for a referral to a podiatrist so he can monitor things, and intervene if necessary later. You can run the ideas you've gotten past him/her and get some peace of mind. I've read that kids' hips are turned inward at birth, and begin to shift outward to a straight alignment in toddlerhood.
L.
My ped said their feet at that age are still very floppy (her term) and as time goes on the muscles and ligaments tighten up and their feet should straighten out by or around 2.
My sons feet straightened out but my daughter is 23 months and still is walking like that so we will be mentioning it again at her 2 year appt. Sorry I don't have a better answer right now but if you'd like I'll save your question and try to let you know how her appt goes at the end on June.
God Bless
K.
Hi K.,
You are not worring to early. You would want to get it taken care of now when his feet are growing fast and you can possable get it to fix it self with a little help like shoes instead of waiting and having to have surgery. Hopefully with switching shoes it will turn it self without a problem. I know you can buy specail shoes (I had them as a child) that will help strighten your feet out and walk better. But if he can already run, I'd say thats a good start!
Have your son evaluated by a specialist to make sure the problem is just pigeon toed and not the hips!!!
if the hip is in the socket inward it can cause a pigeon toe look but the problem lies at the hip ...yes been there done that.....
My daughter toed-in pretty badly and my pediatrician said as long as it doesn't interfere with her walking it's fine. And actually she's pretty much grown out of it now. She's almost 4 now. The doc also told me that alot of Olympic athletes toe-in also. Don't know if that's true or she was trying to make me not so worried about it. I think if your son can walk ok then everything should be fine.
Hi K.,
My daughter was also pigeon toed, but as she grew, it straightened out on it's own. The doc said she'd be a fast runnner and she is! She's now 8 years old, and has no signs of turned in feet at all.
Only intervene if it affects his development or the doc recommends it.
Good luck,
J.
K.~I agree with your brother in law. My son was born with a club foot so I know about the feet turning in. My son had to wear the special shoes that turn out with the bar in between. This is not something that you are going to want to take care of when he gets older. There is a great doctor out of Royal Oak Beaumont, his name is Ira Zaltz. He has been my sons doctor for almost three years now. I never thought my son would walk and now at 3 1/2 my son's feel look like nothing ever happened to him. I would get your son looked at. I hope this helps! Have a good weekend.
For a toddler just over a year old, it seems normal to me. I would put off any consultations until after he's been walking a lot.
my son had the same issue as yours, at the same age as well. He's almost 4 now, and it's fine. We really didn't interviene all too much. I did switch his shoes and that seems to help a little, but he was always taking off his shoes so i gave up. He's fine now. the only problem we have still is that he tip toe walks alot still. We have spoken to a ped. ortho surgeon and he said that if a child is still doing that at 6 yrs, then they step in, but if i tell my son to stop walking on his toes and walk on his feet flat, he will. I think he's just used to it now and forgets.
My daughter in-toed from the time she started walking. Our ped said he doesn't worry about it until they are atleast 2y/o. At 2 he sent her to a pediatric orthopod for an evalutation. He did xrays of her hips and said not to worry about it. He said that as kids get older, up until age 12, their feet slowly turn out. He said he is more concerned if kids are already out-toeing at a very young age, but in-toeing is normal. Hope that helps.
Just go to a chiropractor. No need to spend thousands in the end when a chiro can tell you a resolution in one or two visits.
I had a turned tibia (70degrees) when I was young and at 2months they broke my legs and put them in casts. Later, I had to wear leg braces for several years. For the sake of it, neither of those things worked very well. The only thing that finally worked for me was just mentally trying to correct it by paying attention to trying to keep my feet straight for as long as I could every time I noticed it or someone reminded me. My feet still turn in if I am laying down or something, but not when I am walking, etc. I think that if someone has some less intrusive or embarassing options than I had, than you child deserves to give those treatments a shot. If the reverse shoe thing seems to be working, great!
