The foot is a complex structure of 26 bones and 35 joints, held together and supported by the ligaments. A child's foot is padded with fat and is highly versatile.

A lot of kids begin to walk anywhere in between 8 and 18 months of age. Many young children are flat-footed when they initially start strolling, or tend to turn their feet inwards, because muscle strength and ligament tightness needs to reach other advancement. The flat-footedness nearly always enhances as the bones develop and as the feet strengthen.

Children and wearing shoes

A child learning to stroll receives crucial sensory details from the soles of their feet touching the ground. Footwear assists to safeguard their feet from injury and from the heat and the cold.

When young children are discovering to walk, they should be in bare feet or a soft soled shoe as much as possible so they can feel what they touch with their feet and establish muscle strength.When young children have actually been walking on their own confidently for an amount of time, they can progress to a firmer soled shoe.Have your kid's shoes professionally fitted, which ought to include determining each foot for length and width. Kid's feet grow really quickly and their shoe size might require upgrading every couple of months. Shoes that are too tight can hinder your child's walking and trigger issues, such as ingrown toe nails.

Flat feet in kids

As your kid masters walking, the ligaments and muscles will enhance and the fat pads in the arch area will not be so visible. By around 6 years of age, your kid ought to have normal arches in both feet.

If your kid has foot discomfort, or their feet seem making it hard for them to keep up with their peers, see a podiatric doctor.

Feet that turn inwards

Many young children walk 'pigeon-toed', with either one or both feet turned inwards (in-toeing). In-toeing can originate from the foot, lower leg (tibia) or upper leg (thigh).

It is essential to see your podiatric doctor or health professional if your child's feet are stiff or if their in-toeing is: 1.extreme
2.not improving with age
3.impacting one leg, or
4.triggering tripping in school-aged children.