Parents worry about flatfeet but flatfeet are normal in children, infants and adults. Special shoes, inserts, wedges or exercises do not create an arch in a child with a flexible flatfoot.
Did you know?
One in five children never develops an arch. Most adults with flexible flatfeet have strong, pain-free feet.
Most children have low arches becuase they are loose jointed. The arch flattens when they are standing and their feet seem to be rolled in or their feet pointed outward.
The arch can be seen when these feet are hanging free or when the child stands on their toes.
Barefoot people have the best feet
Your child needs a flexible, soft shoe that allows maximum freedom for the foot to develop naturally.
- Size - Shoe sizes are much better a little large than too small.
- Flexibility - Stiff 'supportive shoes' are not good for feet because the limit movement which is needed for developing strength and retaining foot mobility. A child's foot needs protection from cold and sharp objects and freedom for movement. Children's falls cause many injuries. A flat sole that is neither slippery or sticky is best.
- Material - A material that breathes may be best, especially for warmer climates.
- Avoid odd shapes - Pointed toes, elevated heels and stiff soles are bad for the foot.
Further information:
During their normal development, infants often have bowlegs. With growth the child may become knock kneed by about 18 months of age. With further growth, the legs become straight. Your doctor will decide if your child's legs are normal.
If normal, the condition will correct with time. Special shoes, wedges, inserts or exercises only make the child feel bad and do not correct the shape. Your doctor may be concerned if the condition is severe, occurs only on one side or runs in the family - especially if the family tends to be unusually short in stature.
Just as normal children are of different heights, normal foot arches have different heights too.
Did you know?
Wearing a pad or insert under the arch of a simple flexible flatfoot can make the child less comfortable (and it's a waste of money).
A physician may be concerned if the flatfoot is:
- Stiff
- Painful
- or very severe
But the physician is most concerned about the high arch becuase it is more likely to cause pain later.
Intoeing is common in childhood and is usually outgrown.
There are three causes of intoeing that your doctor can determine:
- Hooked foot
- Tibial torsion
- Femoral torsion
Hooked foot
Hooked foot is caused by the position of the baby before birth. Most hooked feet get better without treatment during the baby's first months, though improvement may be seen throughout the first three years.
Rarely, the hooked foot is stiff, persists and they require treatment with a cast or splint. Special shoes do not correct this condition.
Tibial torsion
Tibial torsion is the inward twist of the lower leg. It is a variation of normal that is very common during infancy and childhood.
Splints, exercises, braces or shoe modifications do not correct the twist and may in fact be harmful. Most legs with tibial torsion straighten without treatment during infancy and childhood.
Femoral torsion
Femoral torsion is a twisting of the thigh bone causing an inward rotation of the leg. The cause of femoral torsion is unknown.Femoral torsion is most severe when the child is about five or six years old. Most children outgrow this condition by 10 years old.
Shoe inserts, modifications or braces do not correct this condition. They may make the child uncomfortable, self-concious and hamper play.