When a baby is born, doctors always check the baby’s feet. Healthy feet are so important. No parent wants to see their child unhappy because he or she is unable to walk or run with the other kids. Pediatric Foot Care can become necessary because of a birth defect, an injury, nerve conditions, weak ligaments or for another reason.
A podiatrist (doctor of podiatric medicine or DPM) is a physician who has the special training needed to effectively handle foot and ankle problems. There are many common issues that might require Pediatric Foot Care. The foot is a surprisingly complicated structure and certainly gets a lot of hard use.
Pediatric Flatfoot Deformity
It’s not uncommon for a young child to have flatfeet. However, this condition should be seen by a podiatrist if the child continues to have flatfeet as the child grows older. It could become a problem requiring treatment.
Abnormal Gait
Young children hop, skip and run. After a few years, though, the child should begin to walk in a more normal manner, as their parents do. Occasionally, this doesn’t happen, and the child may exhibit in-toeing, out-toeing, toe-walking or limping.
Tarsal Coalition
Also known as Rigid Pediatric Flatfoot, this limits the range of motion of the foot as a flatfoot stiffens. A child with this condition can have serious problems walking, suffering pain and limited movement. This condition is also a risk factor for arthritis in later years.
Skin Conditions
Most skin conditions that can affect a child’s foot are easily treated. It’s not uncommon for a child to develop ingrown toenails or warts on the bottom of the foot. Too-tight shoes can aggravate many foot problems.
In-Toeing from Metatarsus Adductus
In-toeing from Metatarsus Adductus is a birth deformity of the foot. The toes and front of the foot curve inward into a “bean” shape. The child’s foot may still be flexible, meaning the child’s foot can be straightened manually. On occasion, the child’s foot will be rigid and cannot be straightened by hand.
Treatment
In most cases, treating a foot problem should begin with the least invasive and most conservative treatments, reserving surgery as a last resort when other treatments haven’t been effective.
Your child’s feet are the foundation of his or her body. At Foot & Ankle Specialists of New Jersey, their podiatrists will give your child’s feet the attention that they deserve. Visit Footandanklespecialistsofnj.com to learn more. You can also follow them on Twitter for more updates.
