Children's Podiatry (paediatrics)
Did you know that our feet continuously develop and grow throughout our first years of life?
From learning how to crawl, to pulling to a stand, walking, running, jumping, hopping, skipping... these are all milestones we aim to achieve throughout our adolescence.
However, if you find your child frustrated or upset because they can't keep up with their class, if they walk different from other children or in pain, then having an assessment with a Podiatrist is recommended.
Please click the links below to learn more about some common problems you find in children's feet and legs:
Growing Pain
Ingrown toenails
In-toeing
Flat feet
Toe Walking
Growing Pain
As children begin to grow taller at a faster rate, aches and pains can occur, especially if the child is particularly active. Common areas in the body are at the knees and heels. While growing pains are typically resolved at the end of the growth spurt, adequate management can help alleviate symptoms until their bodies catch up with themselves.
Ingrown Toenails
Ingrown toenails can present in children and in babies due to trauma. This can be from stubbing their toes, kicking a footy or even wearing tight shoes.
Clearing and removing the ingrown toenail can be sore, but necessary to relieve the child of the pain.
In-toeing
Intoeing (also known as pigeon toes) is when the feet turn inwards when walking. Children who intoe also tend to report clumsiness, frequently tripping and frustration in keeping up with the rest of their class. In-toeing can be caused by various reasons: abducted foot type, tibial torsion (rotation at the leg bone) or femoral torsion (rotation at the thigh bone).
Flat Feet
Flat feet is when the arch makes contact with the ground when standing. Most children will develop an arch when standing by around 6 years however, 1 in 5 children don’t develop an arch. Although most flat feet do not cause problems through to adulthood, facilitating the child with the appropriate management can prevent such problems from occurring as they get older.
Toe Walking
Toe walking is gait pattern in which there is no heel contact made to the ground either completely or periodically. Although normal for children under the age of 3, persistent toe walking can elude to other paediatric concerns.