Feet

Updated on March 29, 2008
T.L. asks from Phelps, NY
15 answers

Hello to all
I have a question about my 14 1/2 month olds feet. She started walking last month. She tots around barely bending her knees. I figure typical. We always have socks on her feet when she walks on the mostly carpeted house and when we go out its usually loafers or slippers. Tonight when she totted into the bathroom barefoot I noticed just how she was walking. Her right foot follows the standard stepping sequence. However her left foot she rolls from the outside to the inside, pushing off the floor at the side of the big toe. Which explains why she has a callus in that spot on her toe. Should I be worried? Should I give the doc a call or is it normal and just her way of keeping her balance? Will she naturally grow out of it? It sorta reminds me of a club foot type walk.. your thoughts and or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

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C.R.

answers from Syracuse on

I would watch it for awhile and the next time you're at the doc's office if it hasn't gone away bring it to their attention. My son had a sort of limp when he first started walking, it lasted for several months and corrected itself, (I did have my doctor watch him walk and he kept an eye on it for awhile).

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Q.F.

answers from New York on

i would talk to her dr. about it. but i made sure to always have my daughter walk around barefoot while indoors (unless we were at someone's house that wasn't clean to our standards) and while outdoors if she were to walk around we made sure she had REAL shoes on, loafers and slippers have absolutely no support and that's what they need. but i would double check with the dr. just incase...they know better then us usually.

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K.K.

answers from New York on

I would definitely recommend calling your child's doctor. You may also want to strongly consider taking your child for other evaluations, such as those that would be administered by a neurologist,occupational therapist, and physical therapist. Be sure that they specialize in pediatrics. Please don't be alarmed by my recommendations...it may turn out to be nothing, but on the other hand if any kind of therapy or treatments are needed, the earlier you start, the better. And go with your instincts.
(I am a mother of 3, including a child with Sensory Processing Disorder. I am also an educator of children with special needs.)

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G.P.

answers from Utica on

If it would give you peace of mind, by all means, call the doctor. Don't feel like you are being worried over something that may be nothing. If it is bothering you, get her checked out and put your mind at ease.

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B.A.

answers from New York on

I would play it safe and call the DR.
It could just be a little thing since she is just starting to walk. But if it is a more serious issue, it would be better to get it checked out sooner rather then later. Since her bones are still growing and forming to a point, it is better to be safe and check it out now.

REMEMBER I AM NOT A DR! I am just a mom and that is what I would do. See what the other moms think. I have my reasons for suggesting you get it checked now.

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A.T.

answers from New York on

Mention it to your pediatrician. It could be nothing, but better to be safe.

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M.P.

answers from Buffalo on

i would call the dr and make appt for her have dr send to a pediatrist or any specialist if needed she may just need a good pair of shoes with good strong support. let me know what happens good luck and may god bless your family.

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D.Z.

answers from Binghamton on

T.,

My 3 year old was born with severe club feet so in the process of getting her feet fixed I learned a fair amount about feet. Are you saying that her foot actually points in when she stands? There could be several issues here, and pediatricians don't usually have the ability to even assess foot issues, so I would definitely recommend seeing a pediatric orthopedic, not a podiatrist or a pediatrician.

One issue could be tibial torsion, where the tibia isn't aligned properly and causes the foot to turn in at the ankle. Another issue could be a loose tendon or lengthened tendon that is allowing for too much movement at the ankle.

If it seems to be less of an issue at the ankle and more in the forefoot, it could be Metatarsis Adductus (MA). This is a condition in which the forefoot bones aren't properly aligned, sometimes caused by improper tendon length.

It could be a problem with a high arch, but you would be able to see that pretty clearly.

It is entirely possible that it is one of these conditions, and they usually correct themselves over time...and it could also just be part of the learning process...or it could be something entirely different, maybe even an alignment problem at the hip. If I were you and if you are seriously thinking this is a problem, then I would see a specialist. If you live in New York State I know of several highly qualified pediatric orthopedics, both near the city and upstate, and I would be happy to let you know who they are, so feel free to contact me. I also have access to a list of highly qualified docs all over the country, so I can help you no matter where you live.

D.

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C.D.

answers from New York on

Call dr let him check it out for sure. although It might be normal when kids are learning how to walk I cant remember its been 12 yrs for me.

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M.W.

answers from New York on

T.,
I don't remember my dgtr's walking behavior when she first started - besides the general wobble back and forth - so I don't fully know if she did that or not! But, I am a speech pathologist and so many times people are concerned with their child's speech and the MD generally takes a 'wait and see' approach - which is not always best. Absolutely talk to your pediatrician about it, BUT - if you have concerns that continue or your instinct is telling you it is something more than the MD says - FOLLOW THAT (MD's don't know everything as we all know!!) and push for a PT evaluation. Honestly - the worst thing that could happen is that your child is fine and doesn't need therapy. If she does -it's better to start it - it certainly does not mean that there is something that cannot be fixed if she does need therapy.

Good luck!

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S.B.

answers from Syracuse on

I would have a doctor check that out. It might not be anything at all, but those types of things are more easily correctable the earlier they are detected. I'd play it safe.

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M.K.

answers from New York on

I woul speak to your doctor , and more then likely she will say," WAIT and SEE"

then in that case call a specialist, pediatric podiatrist

to have a look,
why wait and take chances.

Nothing wrong with asking.

M

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A.F.

answers from New York on

we have a daughter who does something funny too when she walks. she turns her left foot almost sideways when she walks. she was a late walker-started about 16 months and she is now 19 months. my hubby's sitter is a physical therapist and she said that they do these things for balance. of course, check with your ped. if you are really concerned.

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C.H.

answers from New York on

T.,
I would talk to your doctor at your next appointment. When m son started walking I noticed that he was turning one of his feet in and walking on the inside of the foot. When I mentioned it to my pediatrician he suggested that I had medial arches put in his shoes. He also suggested that in the early walking stages that children shouldbe in a good sneaker. He suggested your typical high top leather sneaker (Stride Rite). I have a family owned shoe store by my home and I went there and they knew exactly what I needed. maybe you shoud check your local area for a "good" shoe store. Beware of your mall type Stride Rite stores. When I took my son to a mall store the young girl measured wrong and he couldn't walk at all in the shoes. Just a tip, most toddlers are at least a wide or extra wide shoe and they should have a good finger width of spact between their toe and the tip of the shoe. Hope this helps. Gook Luck!!

C.

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D.C.

answers from Rochester on

Hi T.- I would recommend that you contact an early intervention agency in your area. Early Intervention is a federal program that provides services to birth-three year olds, so it is in every state, but each state runs the program their own way. Many states go through department of health so you might try to contact them. They can provide a physical therapy evaluation to look at your daughter's feet and legs, and give you pointers on things to do to help her. You probably don't need a pediatrician referral, but you should talk to her doctor, too. A lot of times they assume kids will outgrow things like this, but there is never any harm in having her looked at by a PT. I am a speech therapist who works in EI, and have learned alot working with the PT's. They would rather evaluate her and have it be nothing than wait to see if she improves on her own, and need more intense interventions later on. Good luck!

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