Problems with DD's feet?

[Emmielu]

DD is 5 and sometimes walks around the house on tip toes. I hadnt noticed it much before. When shes outside she walks normally and sometimes she'll walk normally in the house too.

Someone pointed out to me today that i need to be careful letting her walk around on tip toes and that i need to stop her doing it because her feet will become disfigured. I'm partly upset because i should have done something about it. Should i do something about it now?

I walk around on my tiptoes alot.

It's because I have very flat feet (no arch at all, really) and it's more comfortable. My parents tried to stop it, even tried putting heavy things around my shoulders to "weight" me down, and then asked the GP who referred me for insoles.

Six pairs later, and numerous foot-castings, I am no better. It's caused no disfigurement (unless you count the lack of an arch, but I was born with that) and no pain.

Is it something i need to be worried about? She only does it a few times in the house. She doesnt do it all the time.

Oh if it's not all the time, I wouldn't worry at all.

There's lots of children at nursery who tip toe sometimes, and the midwives and GPs who visit are never concerned.

There was an embarrassing bodies about this, I think - it said most children will grow out of it, but persistant problems can be a sign of something more serious.

Here you go -

embarrassingbodieskids.channel4.com/conditions/tip-toe-walking/

Hopefully that will put your mind at rest. If it's not all the time, I wouldn't be concerned at all unless she starts to do it more often.

Emmielu, I have a dd who has walked on tip toes all her life. She has AS though, which your dd obviously does not have.
I was reassured by physios and other HP's that she would stop of her own accord one day, grow out of it etc. She is now 13 and still walks on tiptoe and it has become a real issue in that now when she puts her feet flat her posture is terrible. She has reached the point where she can't comfortably walk "normally".
I don't want to scaremonger but if I was you I would keep a close eye on it. With hindsight I would have been more persistent and not been "fobbed off".

THORNROSE, my ds also has AS and had always walked on his toe's as soon as he could walk. The consultant said it was one of the worst case's of toe walking he had ever seen, fast forward to aged 6 he had an operation on his achilles tendon's, where they snipped them to loosen the tendons, this was done by key hole surgery, fast forward to present day now aged 12 and he walks with his feet flat on the ground, and now wears the heel of his shoes down instead of front of the sole. The physio had said to me that on my ds notes it stated that he was born with short tendons, they thought that he might of needed another operation in a few years, but 6 years down the line all is fine, must say it was the best decision we ever made. To EMMIELU it's very common for children to toe walk occasionally, try putting slippers on her, this should encourage her to keep her feet on the ground.

eggsandwich - that is very interesting, my dd is so high on her toes it has to be seen to be believed. I am going to take her to gp and get her checked out again. I've been thinking for a while that surgery might be the only solution.
emmielu - sorry for hijack, totally different scenarios.

Is it worth taking her to the GP anyway just to double check?

thornrose - dont be sorry, its helped you as well as me.

Emmielu - if I were you I would definitely go to GP now, just to make sure she has enough movement in her tendons. It can't do any harm. The comments about disfigured feet are totally wrong though so don't worry about that.
As everyone else said it's really common but generally beyond 3 or 4 years old it starts to be something you should keep an eye on.
Don't end up with more time passing and wishing you'd got it checked out.