The feet of the children need attention and needs to be nurtured to give them strong support in future. We have to understand the difference between normal developmental milestones or abnormalities in their gait or deformity. Immediately we should consult a doctor to verify if treatment is required. At the young age, it is easy to countercheck the deformities which become more prominent in adulthood. Here is a checklist of things we can follow to keep our children foot healthy.
- Infants do not need shoes until they have started walking and it is just for protection.
- Before 18 months the child's feet grow every two months. So buy accordingly.
- Toddlers have the feet growth every three months and eight months up to 3 years.
- After three years the shoe size changes every year.
- Buy shoes which are soft soles lightweight and have a little growing space. Proper snugly fit shoes would avoid curled toes and structural problems.
- Encourage children to walk barefoot at home. It gives them muscle strength and tactile awareness which is heavily restricted by shoes.
- Stretching exercise shown by a physical therapist helps to rectify the flat foot at an early stage and loosen up the muscle.
- Intoeing is common in children. Intoeing happens when the feet turn inward instead of pointing straight outwards while walking or running.Usually gets better as your child grows by the age of 10 without the use of corrective shoes.
- Do consult an orthopaedic if a child complains of pains in leg frequently.