Child’s Feet Issues – What you should know

The foot is an anatomical feature of the human body which arguably is most used through a person’s life. It is that part of our anatomy which bears our body-weight and enables us to move.

Along with the ankle, the foot is a strong and intricate part of the anatomical structure which comprises 26 bones, 33 joints and over a hundred tendons, muscles and ligaments. 20 of these joints are actively articulated. The foot is divided into three sub-sections – the forefoot, midfoot and hindfoot.

The forefoot is made up of five toes, each with its own set of proximal long bones, which forms the metatarsus.

The midfoot has five irregular bones which form the arches of the foot and act as a shock absorber when we move. The midfoot connects with the fore and hindfoot through the plantar fascia and other muscles.

The hindfoot consists of the ankle-bone and heel-bone which are connected to the two long bones of the lower leg known as the tibia and fibula.

The arched portion between the toes and the ankle is known as the instep.

Strangely enough, while people take great care of other parts of their bodies, the feet are most often neglected. This could be potentially damaging with young children because their feet are soft and pliable and can easily deform. The feet in children grow very rapidly. During the first year of growth they often reach half the adult foot size. Given this rapid growth rate, the first year is the most important in the development of a child’s foot.

Children suffer less from foot pain and other foot related symptoms than adults because the tissues of their feet are flexible and more resilient. A common complaint with many children is non-specific growing pains in the leg which can result in a deep ache during the night. Other foot conditions which children are prone to are:

• Ingrown toenails which require immediate attention.
• Sever’s disease which causes growing pains in the heel.
• Clubfoot, which is a relatively rare birth deformity. Club foot can be corrected at an early stage but might still cause problems in later life.
• A common problem with children is sweaty feet which generate an offensive odor.
• Flatfoot is another condition which children often suffer from. It is generally painless but could be painful in an overweight or older child.
• A pronated ankle is a condition where the foot rolls inward. In most children it corrects itself but in some it doesn’t, giving cause for concern.
• In-toe and out-toe walking is sometimes observed in children. In-toeing is when the child walks with the toes pointed inward instead of straight ahead. Children with this condition might trip more frequently than others. This condition generally corrects itself as the child grows older and reaches the age of two, but if it doesn’t then treatment with special shoes or stretching exercises might be advised.
• Out-toeing is the opposite condition where the feet are turned excessively outward. Again this corrects itself naturally and treatment might be required only in extreme cases.

In many instances foot problems which appear later in life stem from ill-fitting footwear and foot conditions during childhood, which are often neglected or go unnoticed. It pays to have your child’s feet examined by an expert to avoid the very considerable pain and discomfort of a foot condition in adulthood. It is also advisable for a child’s feet to be examined periodically by a podiatrist. The majority of children’s foot conditions can be prevented with good-fitting shoes.