3 year old curly toes - any podiatrists about?!

[Echocave]

My dd has just turned 3 and her toes curl inwards. They've alway been like this but it's more pronounced as she grows. A physio friend said it's usually congenital and the toes might end up crossing over each other and she'd need surgery.
Should I be doing anything about this (apart from making sure her shoes fit?)

Mine was born with slightly overlapping toes on one foot due to being very tightly packed in the womb. They gave me some microtape? when he was 3 because it seemed more prounouced. They asked me to bind two toes together side by side to gain. We did this for about a month and then gave up because it seemed too not be achieving anything and it was too irritating. Roll on 10 years and he hasn't needed an operation as they look great.

That's good.
I think dd has inherited her dad's feet. Just wondering if they should be looked at particularly the right foot the toes are curved round towards the big toe (if that makes sense...)

echomy daughter (5) is the same. I took her to doctors 6m ish ago but they said that podiatry had been cut and were pretty about what to do.

Is it all her toes?

When my niece was born her two outer toes on each foot were very noticeably curled inwards. My sister was told that there was a good chance that she might have difficulty walking.

I told my sister to have a look at her own feet. Like me, and like our mother, she has very curly outer toes (and had clearly forgotten in all the stress!) It has never been an issue for any of us.

Not to make light of what may well be a serious issue for your daughter. Just saying that it can run in families and be fairly meaningless. (Niece is now school age, never had any walking problems, just has the family curly toes!)

My DS has crossed toes and saw a podietrist when he was 5. He was cast for toe splints that separated and straightened the bent toe. It is a management technique not a cure though and I was told that he would only have surgery if the toe became stuff so it couldn't be manipulated into position. I was also told he only got splints because he didn't distribute the weight properly thought that foot.

The foot has now totally collapsed and he's being treated for that

If the nhs won't help then if you can afford it look into a private assessment. They are reasonably priced. Then go back to nhs with report if you think it warrants them investigating.

The taping recommended by the podiatrist was very simple. Literally binding two toes together so they rested flatter. They said an operation would be possible if he reached adulthood and he found shoe wearing irritating

yeah I've tried taping but not being an expert I'm rather worried about getting it wrong .

You're right I need to get a private referal, I have been kicked up the backside .

Hmm thank you. They don't curl under or cross just slightly inwards, really the fourth and fifth toes so the foot looks 'curved'. It seems slightly worse on her right foot. I think if I got an assessment they might say it's not serious enough yet and that she's not old enough to do anything about it yet.

We have a genetic deformity in our family like that. The only one it's caused problems in is my db who threw his ankle badly as a child. Although that might have been because the foot fitter managed to measure his feet 2 sizes too large.

I would leave well alone and not worry about it unless she has problems walking. In twenty years of professional practice the only time I have provided splints or taping for curly toes is to reassure the parents.

My DD had this. Her third and fourth toes were crossed, so she was standing on them almost?
We saw a specialist (where we were living in Germany) who said they don't like to intervene (she was 3 ish) and to wait and see...
They are mostly all on the floor now (aged 11) though still have bent appearance and her shoe size is narrow because of this. She also falls over spectacularly quite a lot which may/not be connected.

merde are you a podiatrist then? Its hard for us 'normal' patents because doing nothing to me feels neglectful. ....

I have curly toes (4th on each foot) and it has not caused any trouble.
It's a genetic thing - my mum has them and so does DS. I was worried at first but now think it's better DS has a little curly toe than DH's monkey paw feet.

Yes I am
Definitely better to have curly toes than monkey paws.
Curly toes are usually most noticable when young but are rarely problematic in adulthood.

Merde thank you.
I'm now worrying about my other ds who rolls her feet really badly (like me, I have awful pronation). Admittedly she's only 13 months old but I wonder if it's taking her longer to walk because of this [shamelessly seeking free advice. Ahem]. I guess she's too young for me to panic/do anything..,