Children’s feet and legs

There are a variety of positions that cause  parental concern with a babies feet. Infants feet and leg shape changes a lot after birth. They can be in-turned, out-turned or flat. Sometimes the position of the feet may perhaps be caused by the position of the baby in the womb. Many of these positions correct spontaneously. If improvement of the foot posture seems slow, a paediatric physiotherapist can provide expert advice and treatment.

Common Foot Postures

Feet that turn in

The foot turning in can be the result of:

• a twist in the foot
• a twist in the shin bone
• a turn in the hip
• sometimes all of the above

Later on this can be made worse by your child always sitting back between their feet (’W’ sitting). Correcting habits may help some feet and legs to straighten. Often the problem will resolve itself. Other times, such as for Metatarsus Adductus ( a bend in the forefoot) and Talipes ( a bend in the whole foot from the ankle) intervention may be required. Sometimes these are described as the baby looking like their foot is an “L’ shape, or their foot is a ‘C’ shape. If you are concerned, seek advice from your local paediatric physiotherapist. See my more detailed article for further information  on these conditions on this website.

Feet that turn out

Some infants are born with their feet turning out. Generally this also spotaneously corrects over time. If this doesn’t resolve spontaneously it may also require intervention. It may be more noticeable when baby starts to try and reach their feet and pull them to their mouth which is a common stage in physical development. It may become more obvious when a toddler begins to stand or walk.

Exercising your baby’s feet

Parents are often told in the early stages to just massage the baby’s turned foot and it will resolve the position. This is true in mild cases in my experience. Encourage your baby to push and kick with their feet to help stimulate muscle development. If it doesn’t start to move to the same position as the other foot with tickles, rubbing  and massaging; it may be worthwhile to take your baby to your local paediatric physiotherapist for assessment and advice.

Flat feet

Flat feet don’t tend to be noticed until your child becomes a toddler and is weight bearing on their feet. Babies and toddlers normally appear to have “flat” feet because the arch of the foot doesn’t develop until later. Five to six years old is normally when this develops more fully. Flat feet commonly run in families. If your child is looking like they have a flat foot because they are rolling inwards from the ankle, not just in the arch, this may make their foot more unstable for walking. This can impact on balance later on.

If you have any concerns, this is something that a paediatric physiotherapist can give you advice and help with in treatment. Call 1800 985 996