Pediatric Foot Condition

Children’s feet are constantly growing in the early years. It is important to check your child’s shoes and socks are the correct sizes as shoes that are too tight can cause deformity and ingrown toe nails. Between the ages of two and three years a child’s foot has a generous fat padding which can give the feet the appearance of being flat or having a low arch. As a child develops to around five years old their feet should take a normal arch shape as their muscle and ligaments become stronger. Children may walk with their feet turned inwards (in-toeing) in the first three to five years of their life. This will normal correct itself by age five without medical intervention.

Children are affected by many of the same foot conditions that adults are, including plantar warts, flat feet, heel pain, and ingrown toenails. Some of these conditions take on different characteristics or may occur more frequently in children due to the nature of their developing bodies and their active lifestyles. Throughout childhood, normal bone and muscle growth changes in the legs may contribute to heel pain and flat feet. And since children and adolescents can be tough on their feet, ingrown toenails are common problems.