2007-09-25 02:53:33 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
While most infants will naturally outgrow this normal toeing-in stage, you can help your child's leg bones grow straight by promoting orthopedically-correct sleeping and sitting positions. Here are a few tips:
To straighten out IFT, encourage your child to sit cross-legged ("Indian-style"), or to sit with his feet straight out. Discourage sitting in the "W position," with his feet turned out to the side. While it looks uncomfortable, this position is a favorite among toddlers.
To discourage the curvature from ITT, discourage your child from sleeping in the fetal position. If he likes to curl up in the fetal position to fall asleep, sneak in after he's sound asleep and straighten his feet out. Also, discourage him from sitting with his feet tucked under his bottom.
Toeing-in due to flat feet should subside once your child develops foot arches. Until then, he may toe-in to better distribute his weight and walk more comfortably.
Should you worry about toeing-in? My general rule is this: "No tripping — no worry." If your toddler walks and runs without frequently tripping over his feet, then no worry or treatment is needed. Because nearly all children outgrow toeing-in, most orthopedists feel it's best to let nature take it's course until the age of 4. After that, if the toeing-in is causing increasing tripping, a night brace may help, although this is rarely necessary.
When it comes to children's bones, the saying "as the twig is bent, so grows the tree," is a useful tip for parents. By teaching your child to sit and sleep correctly, you will encourage proper bone growth, and help any curved bones to straighten out.
2007-09-25 02:58:36 · answer #1 · answered by stephensbaby 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most pediatricians do not use those corrective shoes anymore. Unless she has a condition like club feet, or if it is really severe (but she's walking, so likely not) you really don't need to worry about it. The feet will correct most of the way, if not all, just by the muscle building she will do walking around.
2007-09-25 02:58:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
When my daughter was 18 mths old, my Dr gave me pamplets on "Things not to be concerned about". Pigeon toe being one of those things. He said she'd outgrow it by the age of 3. She is now 7 1/2 and is still walking that way. I have taken her to two different "foot" Dr's. They have done X-rays on her feet and legs and insist that there is nothing physically wrong with her. I really wish that I had done something about it early on, because it's NOT correcting it's self.
2007-09-25 04:58:27 · answer #3 · answered by lexiemilyandwyattsmom 1 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hi, I had a Dr's app yesterday and we were talking about my baby's development, she's pulling herself up since 7,5 months and my dr told me she will probably have this "problem" which is not a problem, cause all babies start walking like that and it is something that self-corrects when they are about 3 years, it happens because of the position of the legs in the womb. Just mention it at your next dr's appt, but she's fine.
2007-09-25 03:44:00 · answer #4 · answered by Baby Ruth habla español 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to do this when i was younger, and my brother walks with his feet inward too. It's because she's sitting with her legs on both sides of her hips and her bum in the middle. It turns the feet in because the hips are now twisted. Next time she does that, correct it before it becomes worse. Hope i helped :)
2007-09-25 02:59:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unless she is pidgoned toed (Where the feet turn in and over-lap) there is no need to correct it. I had concerns about my son's feet when he first started walking and his doctor watched him walk and said it was normal for that age. He grew out of it.
2007-09-25 02:58:27 · answer #6 · answered by Ryan's mom 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She needs to be taken to a foot specialist *physician* and they can check her ankles and legs to see if her ankles are weak or if there's a problem with the bone growth. There are lots of ways to correct it from special made shoes to braces and surgery, but only a doctor can recommend the right thing. Please get it done because the longer it goes without correction the more painful that correction can be later and other damage can be done to her feet, ankles, and legs. Good luck, I hope that helps!
2007-09-25 02:58:32 · answer #7 · answered by Angels Serenity 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
my 4 year old neighbor (has/had) that problem. her feet bowed in while walking when she was like 2 so they took her to an orthopedic dr and he said she needs to wear shoes with a high arch til shes 8 to correct the problem.
when u buy shoes, ask the sales person for shoes with a high arch.
talk to your dr first though
2007-09-25 03:00:22 · answer #8 · answered by Blondie131 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bunny: Don't fool around with this. See your doctor, maybe two or three. Most of the time things like this are normal or VERY easily corrected. However if they aren't normal and they aren't corrected your child will have a problem for life.
It reminds me of a show I saw one time. A man was killing people. It turned out he had advanced Syphilis. One of the characters said that all it would have taken was a shot of Penicillin 10 years ago and he wouldn't be terminal today. Not that your child could be terminal but if she actually has a problem the sooner you address it the easier it will be to correct.
2007-09-25 03:12:26 · answer #9 · answered by gimpalomg 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I used to babysit a little girl like that. She had to wear a special apparatus at night that turned her feet the right way. That was many years ago so they may have other ways of fixing it now.
2007-09-25 02:58:31 · answer #10 · answered by iceemama 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋