Written by Dr.Ritu Chauhan
As a parent you may have some concerns as to how your child may be walking or running. You may in the past have been told that your child’s problem ‘will simply go away’ or ‘they will grow out of it’. With foot problems influenced from incorrect footwear or congenital and hereditary issues it is important to have your child’s feet assessed to prevent future complications.
First you need to know the normal development of children’s feet
§ New born babies have no arches in their feet
§ 4-5 year olds start to develop arches
§ 8-10 year olds have normal arches
So, if your child is 6 year sold or above and haven’t developed the arches yet or if they tell you they have pain in their feet then it is time to act!
What you need to check with your kid?
· Frequent ankle twists/falling while running or playing
· Tired achy legs on a regular basis
· Lack of participation or performance in sports/physical activities due to poor endurance
· Shoe wearing out unevenly
· Falling inner arch or very high arch
· Any bulge or bony growth on inner aspect of base of great toe.
· Toes abnormally curved
· Toenails-Ingrown/Outgrown/discoloration
· Shape of foot resembles kidney beans or banana
· Standing with heels or outer border of feet off the floor
· Both knees looking each other or opposite side
· Corn/callus (dry hard skin) on sole of foot
· Abnormal bulging on inner/outer aspect of ankle
· Limping while walking or one leg shorter or longer
· Walking with toe-in or toe-out
Why you need to correct the faulty biomechanical alignment of your child?
· Prevent progression of faulty alignment into structural deformities
· Improve fitness and enhance performance in sports activities
· Reduce chances of sports related injuries like sprains, muscle tears etc.
· Pain free life
· Prevent early wear & tear in other joints like knee, hip, spine etc. in later stage of life
Things you need to know when buying your kid’s shoes
· Keep a track on the change in the kid’s foot size with respect to the shoe
· Check for any uneven wear and tear on the outsole and insole of the shoe - it may indicate any
foot problem
· Do not buy bigger or smaller shoes as ill-fitting shoes may cause aches, pains, blisters or calluses in the feet
· Siblings sharing same footwear or hand down shoes are more prone to skin infections like
athlete's foot and nail fungus
· Always buy shoes for the larger foot as feet are seldom precisely the same size
· Buy Shoes that do not need a “Break-In”period
. Shoes should be comfortable immediately. Also make sure to have your kid try on shoes with
socks that he wears.
· Shoes should fit according to the length, width and height of the feet as our foot is a three
dimensional structure
For more details call 1800 22 1674 / Email: doctor@orthofit.in
