CHILDREN'S FEET
At birth, the bones in your baby's feet are not completely formed and are still mostly cartilage. Until a child reaches their mid/late teens, the cartilage will gradually ossify and form bones. The appearance and function of childrens' feet are therefore completely different to adults'. A thorough examination, knowledge of how the feet and lower limbs form throughout childhood, analysing milestones and knowing what is "normal" and "abnormal" is imperative. Podiatrists know what is normal for a child of a particular age group, can recognise what will resolve with time versus what may require monitoring only, and issues which may require further treatment.
You should consult a podiatrist if you notice the following or want to just have your child's feet and/or lower limbs examined.
- Pain in feet or legs after activity or sport
- Repeated pain in feet or legs through the night
- Walking on tip toes
- Feet, legs or gait (walking pattern) looks different or non-symmetrical
- Excessively high or low-arched feet.
- Excessively rolling in or out.
- In-toeing or out-toeing gait pattern
- Uneven shoe wear.
- Abnormal knee alignment (eg genu valgum)
- Repetitive knee, ankle pain
- Rashes, hard skin, prominences' or lumps