The feet of young children are very soft; their bones have not yet grown to their full capacity. There is a possibility that the parents may notice something abnormal in their kid’s feet and they should be concerned about the same.
Most commonly parents may see that the feet of their kids are flat i.e., absence of arch on the inner side or they are walking weirdly with their toes pointing outward. Babies are born with flatfeet, a condition which corrects itself by the time the kid turns six. However, some of these children may never develop their arch fully. These are the children who should be examined by the orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons to decide the future course of action in order to avoid possible consequences. Kids may be born with grossly deformed FOOT, most commonly CLUBFOOT that requires good deal of attention from doctors.
Many toddlers continuously walk on their toes, a condition known as toe walking. But this habit usually disappears when they reach the age of three. Any persistence of such abnormal walking necessitates medical evaluation. In-toeing, also known as pigeon toes, wherein children walk with their feet turned inward may be caused by various issues up in leg or hip regions. If they are not able to overcome it in their teens, a visit to a doctor becomes mandatory.
Children may suffer from plantar warts caused by a virus, which causes cauliflower like outgrowths on the sole. These are quite contagious and require medical treatment. As the children grow, there is often a mismatch in the size of nail bed and the overlying nail. This causes the nail to push into the skin on the sides leading to pain and possibly infection, a condition known as ingrown toenails.
Children quite frequently suffer from heel pain which NEEDS to be addressed based on its cause. Many foot problems can be avoided or better managed by choosing the right shoes. Proper foot care is never at the forefront of our kid’s mind, as they often just want the newest and coolest pair of shoes that features their favourite characters.
Apart from obvious deformity and pain, kids may not keep up with their peers or voluntarily KEEP withdrawing from activities they usually enjoy or just do not want to show their feet. A child with any of these signs or symptoms should be promptly examined by foot and ankle surgeon for proper diagnosis and treatment.