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Original poster

her feet turn in what can i do

19 replies

starshaker · 08/05/2006 15:28

alana is learning to walk and keeps tripping over her feet cos they turn in so much. ive spoke to my hv and she said she will grow out of it. then last week i took her back and she now says she might need physio. has any1 else had this problem and how did it turn out

OP posts:

Stylish · 08/05/2006 16:08

Apparently I had this when I was little. It was treated by me wearing boys shoes on the wrong feet

I doubt this method is recommended or even still used, but it worked :)

Original poster

starshaker · 08/05/2006 16:09

dont think she would thank me for that lol

any other advice

OP posts:

LIZS · 08/05/2006 16:29

How old is she ? dd 's feet turn inwards , less markedly so now at 4 1/2 than as a toddler, but still enough to trip herself up in the playground. Had her assessed by an orthopaedic specialist and she is still within the tolerance of normal, so apparently the inturn has to be fairly severe to warrant any treatment. If there is no obvious problem with hip or foot then they tend to leave it. We found well fitted shoes, especially lace up ankle boots, helped when she was small, and that wellies, for example, were worse. Even now certain styles suit her feet better.

buffythenappyslayer · 08/05/2006 16:36

dd1 has this.i was told that her feet would straighten up by the age of 18 months.they didnt.when she was at nursery i took her to see the gp as she kept falling over her feet.she was referred to the orthapaedic surgeon,who said that her legs needed to be straightened to make her feet straight.this involved having her legs broken,then straightened and she would be in plaster for 8 weeks and would then need to basically walk again.he said he would do this when she was 10.i never agreed to it.when she was 10,i said it was upto her.she said no.the only problem she might have as she gets older is stiff joints.shes 12 now,and still refuses to have it done.her party piece is that she can turn her feet the wrong way round so they point out from behind her!!

buffythenappyslayer · 08/05/2006 16:37

sorry that should have said she would basically need to learn to walk again.got distracted by a bag of smarties!!

meysey · 09/05/2006 22:21

ask for a referral to a podiatrist (foot specialist). there are many different levels of foot turning inwards, children can grow out of it, or some may need shoe insoles for extra support, espcailly if they are very bendy (hypermobile). more serious treatment I think is very rare.

also try not to worry too much. I was convinced one DS had a major problem as he fell over so much - yet at playgroup he was seen as very agile!

Passionflower · 09/05/2006 22:33

DD1 has been diagnosed with \link{http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/orthopedicsurgery/femanteversion.html\this}

It is the most usual reason for inturning feet, but get it checked out if you are concerned.

figroll · 11/05/2006 10:22

My dd was referred to a foot woman! Don't know the technical term and she recommended wearing Elefanten boots (I don't know if you can still buy these in this country) because they have a very good footbed that supports the foot well. She also had to wear insoles that forced her feet outwards. She too walked with her feet turned right in so that she tripped over them. If I look at my hubby, he turns his feet in very slightly, so I think this is where she gets it from.

My dd didn't grow out of it so I would ask for a referral if I were you.

figroll · 11/05/2006 10:25

My dd was also knock kneed (don't know how to spell this). Interesting article Passionflower - I have never heard of this before.

Passionflower · 11/05/2006 23:11

figroll, neither had I until DD1 saw an orthopaedic surgeon. When we talked about it, it became obvious that I also have it and so did my father and also DH! According to my surgeon it is more common in girls.

Skribble · 11/05/2006 23:18

I have fett that turn in, my ankles sort of sit at an angle in to the middle. I was refered when a toddler but hey it was the seveties and they decided I should run bare foot through endless medows with flowers in my hair .

Mum decided to put me in clarks shoes which had to be put in for rehealing everyweek to keep the heel even. DD has similar but not as severe tendencies. I have to be careful buying her shoes, they have to have a flat outer sole at the heel not a rounded one (lots of trainers are like this).
MUms other technique was to keep reminding me to put my feet straight. I walk normally now put it was a hard slog as a child and I wish they had just given me the built up boots they had prescribed previously.

lexiemum · 12/05/2006 08:09

we're in the same boat here. Gp wouldn't refer - said it will just sort its self out by the time DD was 7. Wasn't happy as at 2.5 she was tripping over and can't run properly (legs look like propellers when she runs!) - I got the HV to refer to podiatry. Had assessment last august and given some exercises to do with her (to manipulate the hips - apparently its all to do with the way girls hips develop in prep for childbirth?) - Shes no better and not waiting for our review meeting in sept, so pursuing a self referral at the moment.

other advice podiatry gave me was to avoid trainers and preferably wear boots as they have more control over ankles. which is all good in winter but a pain now.

Piffle · 12/05/2006 08:27

ask for referral to orthotic shoe fitting, they can make magic with weighted boots, they are really nice looking boots nowadays too.
Well worth doing IMHO

Bubbaloo · 12/05/2006 20:23

My Ds was born with something very similar to Talipes,where the feet turn inwards.Apparently it is very common and can also be hereditory(sp)-my mum also had this as a child.Your dd's feet don't actually sound that bad,but ds had to have both his legs in plaster for the first 8 weeks and he now wears special little boots(like Stylish mentioned!),which makes them look like they are on the wrong feet.It hasn't stopped him doing anything and has recently started to pull himself up to standing which is great news(he's 11 months old).Obviously if you are worried then I would get a referal from your GP.Ds's last appointment was in Jan this year and now doesn't have to see the specialist for at least another year,but I have to take him to be measured for new boots every 3 months or so.HTH.

Milliways · 12/05/2006 21:42

Buffy - I had that same problem!

At 2 I was pidgeon toed, by 5 Knock kneed & by 7 couldn't walk in a straght line without tripping over- def no running!

At 7 I had the femurs broken, plated & paster cas from toes to underarms (Hip Spiker) treatment. I wasn't easy but mine was progressing & the verdict was by age 10 would be in a wheelchair for life - so no decision really.

I sometimes see older people walking with such badly deformed/inward feet I think WHY?

I have had follow up treatment, but I can walk/run/play with my kids.

NB, my DD started to turn her feet in & I freaked. She was thoroughly checked by OrthoSurgeons, pronounced fine & grew out of it by age 3!

Follow any advice from GP & see an Orthopaedic specialist to make the right decision for you.

Next · 12/05/2006 21:51

Wow was going to start a thread on this. DD is five, and has always walked with her feet turned slightly inwards. I ahd mentioned it a number of times to HV but told not to worry, at least til she started school.

So, she started school and still problem is there. So, doc referred her to orthapaedic consultant, who tells us she needs special thingys in the heel area of her shoes, for two years to see if this helps. He says her hips are out of line? If no improvement in six months, she may have to wear braces at night.

Bit shocked tbh, her feet don't point in TOO much, she certainly dosn't trip up etc.

Milliways · 12/05/2006 21:55

Hope I haven't panicked anyone. At 5 I had the heel covers - they just gave me blisters! Mine was obviously worsening year on year. Inward Rotating Femurs.

At age 7 if someone pushed my feet as far out as they would go, they just about pointed straight! Not just a bit turned in.

FruitAndNutcase · 16/05/2006 11:51

I was pigeon toed as a youngster and had to wear the plastic cap type things in the heels of my shoes for a couple of years. This seemed to rectify the problem as I have walked perfectly straight ever since, however, I am terribly clumsy and do trip over thin air all the time, but that could just be me

SSSandy · 16/05/2006 11:59

Took dd to an orthopaedist at 2. Had physiotherapy but the physiotherapist said she was at an age that it was difficult to work with, so gave up on that. Might try it again now though.

Orthopaedist prescribed insteps. Had those one summer long, no obvious improvement. I was also told by the physiotherapist it is best to do nothing, kids grow out of it, on no account to have braces. She's nearly 6, right foot tends inward more than left. She falls over a lot when she's running. Don't know what to do about it either. No way would I have her leg broken though. Sounds so drastic, doesn't it?

She goes to dancing classes and I'm wondering now if ballet might be bad if she has this problem.

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