Right foot turning in.......

[HandbagAddiction]

dd is 20 months old and has just started walking. Still cruises mainly and often needs support but will take unassisted steps. I've noticed though that her right foot turns in quite a bit - so much so in fact that the woman in the shoe shop noticed it last week when we were buying a new pair of cruisers for her.

If she is barefoot it doesn't seem as pronounced and I do try and keep her barefoot as much as possible. (Nursery know that they are only to put her shoes on when they go outside to play)

But I'm wondering whether this is something I need to go and see my GP about or whether developmentally, it works itself out as she learns to walk further...and for longer periods of time.

Any advice?

[beatie]

It never hurts to query something like this with your GP.

My DD started walking at 12 months and even at 22 months her feet still seemed to turn in. We visited some friends at the time who are both physios and they commented that she still walked with her feet turned in and that this was normal for her age.

So, it is probably nothing but still doesn't hurt to check if you are concerned.

[dottee]

I agree - do query it with your GP. It may be nothing but it will put your mind at ease.

I had a 'weak ankle' when I was younger and it was sorted by a little bit of physio. It was a long time ago and things are much better. (In fact, dance lessons were recommended to sort the problem out.)

My dd is an extreme case as her twisted foot is caused by her disability but it is in the process of being corrected partly by stretching and physio. and the consultant told me it will be fine next year.

I'm sure your dd will not be as 'extreme' but if there is a small problem, it's a good time at 20mths be sorted without any problems.

Good luck and best wishes.

[eldestgirl]

DS2 (22 mths) has the same thing. I took him to a podiatrist and she checked that none of the tendons in his legs were restricting "normal" movement. Toes turning in are normal for this age. They should start to turn out in the next 6 months. I only noticed because his right foot turns in more than his left. They need to have shoes with good supports at the heel/ankle. You can also "correct" their legs when they turn their toes in, for example if they are sleeping on their tummy with their toes turning in (iykwim), roll them gently on to their backs. Likewise, don't let them kneel on the floor with their legs out to the sides, or squat with their toes turning in.
You can also put their shoes on the wrong feet for short periods of time. Make sure the shoes don't rub though.
So you could try your GP to make sure her tendons aren't tight in the wrong places? HTH.

[HandbagAddiction]

Thanks for the messages and information. Really appreciate it. Spoke to my HV yesterday who was very helpful. She said not to worry at this stage as since dd had been a bum shuffler, the hip rotation required for walking would take a little longer to work itself out - and apparently it's this hip rotation which causes the turning in. Also said that since her right foot is the one that is constantly underneath her as she shuffles, this would be why it's more evident in the right foot. Said they would review the situation at her two year check.

She did tell me to try using wellington boots on the wrong feet for 30 minutes a day! Apparently, this is a well used technique by orthopaedics when young children are initially refered as the boot provide ankle support but being on the wrong feet, it encourages the feet to straighten up! So guess what we'll be doing over the next few months!!

[Marina]

Your HV sounds very clued up, HandbagAddiction, that's very positive.
I intoed as a child and had to wear lifts in my shoes for a time (). Ballet was a more enjoyable way of correcting it.

[anorak]

I also walked with my toes turned in. When I was about 8 or 9 I remember my mum taking me to physiotherapy twice a week for a while. And she used to buy me built up shoes. But to be honest I was never really all that aware of it until I became an adult. I've never ever been teased about it by anyone except my sneering mother! I only really thought about it because very occasionally someone would ask me why I didn't walk straight.

I broke my ankle badly about 2 1/2 years ago, and when I was undergoing physiotherapy after that I talked to the staff there. This was the first time in my life that I was ever told that, as you've said, it's a problem that's more to do with the hips than the legs. I was given hip exercises to do along with the ones for my ankle, and my 'new walk' now is much straighter than it's ever been before in my life, despite the severe injury to my ankle which still causes problems.

[littlelamb]

I suffered from this as a child and apparently my mum was told to do exercises with me that involved picking up a pencil with my toes. Sounds bizzare, but I walk fine now!

[anorak]

I had to do all kinds of exercises like that when I was little. All to do with toes. Tying knots in string with your toes. Picking things up. They used to give you a bowl of marbles and tell you to pick out all the red ones, with your toes.

I have excellent toe skills now but it never seemed to make a difference to my odd walk!

[BadgerBadger]

I used to do this too. My mother took me to a specialist, the option proffered was calipers. My mother declined and a few years later (about seven or eight) I started to walk more correctly just by being aware of the problem and concentrating on changing my foot positon when I walked. I walk fine now . (Well, my feet are!)

The boot suggestion doesn't surprise me at all, I still have a tendancy to rest my feet on their outer edge - I stand quite happily like this for hours! So, again, it wouldn't surprise me to find that I turned my feet in when walking because the outer edge of my feet is where it was most comfortable to place my wieght.

Anything that prevented me from doing this comfortably (like and instep support on the outer edge) would probably have helped me to correct the problem sooner.

[tiffini]

My DS is 4yrs and walks with both feet pointed in, was told by a paediatrician thay it did not indicate anything it is just the way he is.