Hypermobile 22 month old - special boots?

[inadreamworld]

My 22 month old DD is not walking yet,when she pulls up to stand her ankles bend to the side so she is putting weight on the outside of her foot. The specialist says she is hypermobile as she was late crawling and rolling too - she has had all the tests and has no other special needs and is developing normally in every other way.She is getting frustrated at not walking and walks around on her knees all the time.

I have heard that I can get special boots that would support her ankles and help her walk. Does anyone know where I can get them and if they are very expensive?

[smokinaces]

Hes on the register as the school need to be aware of the risk of him falling. He also has hypermobile wrists and fingers so they have writing aids for him and slopes.

He was nineteen months when he walked, but had been under physio and paed from eleven months as I have hms as well and it was obvious from birth he had it. His mobility now is excellent - as long as he is wearing his boots he can walk and run everywhere. He still trips and falls a lot, and gets sore legs in certain situations (like muddy walks, sand on beach etc) but the physio and stuff has really helped as he had it from a year until he was four. He's now five.

[inadreamworld]

smokin that's interesting. How bad does hypermobility need to be to be considered SEN? What age did your son walk and what is his mobility like now?

[smokinaces]

That's fab news. Ds2 had piedro boots from seventeen months and pulled to stand two days later. He had three pairs, then moved to orthotics in his shoes and the boots made his hips go instead. Then we went back to boots as he kept falling - but now we use standard velcro boots from Clarks or hush puppies. He is five and wears them to school as his hms puts him on the sen register. He asks to wear them as he finds them more comfortable than any other shoe or trainer, even high tops.

[TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission]

fab news

[inadreamworld]

JUST TO UPDATE - DD STARTED WALKING ON HER OWN ALL ROUND THE GARDEN TODAY - 4 DAYS AFTER HER 2ND BIRTHDAY!!!! The boots really helped she has only had them for just over a month. Thanks to all the lovely people who posted advice and the lovely people who sent me 2nd hand boots

[inadreamworld]

Olive thanks for the stickers idea i will try it!!

Bryzoan and proudmum74 I think DD is UK size 4 - haven't had her measured but the size 4 shoes fit her! That is such a kind offer to send me the 2nd hand boots...will PM both of you. In fact we will be off to Ireland for next few months to stay with mother in law so will send you her address and send me yours so can pay you for postage - really touched by that - MN is so lovely (except on those threads that turn into arguments which I avoid!!!)

Merry I will ask for referral to Orthotist - had no idea what the persons title was so thanks for that.

[MerryCouthyMows]

Ask the Physio for a referral to the ORTHOTIST. They will assess your DD and see if she needs Piedro boots, or shoe inserts.

I have 3 hypermobile DC's. DD had shoe inserts until she was 7yo, still ruins her shoes but refuses to wear them now.

DS2 has severe Hypermobility, and was in Piedro boots 23 hours a day from 7mo until 4yo, and then just wearing then when out of the house until two years ago, when our orthotics dept closed for a while due to lack of orthotists. He's now back under them and will probably need shoe inserts at the very least.

DS3 is 2yo. He is getting shoe inserted next month.

PM me igbthrvbv

[Bryzoan]

Just checked - ours are size 19. They are blue nubuck with velcro, still in quite good nick as she didn't really get to grips with them till they were nearly too small. I'd be delighted to send them on to anyone - would be good for them to get some use!

[proudmum74]

Hi, my DD also has a pair of old piedros (size 20 - think that might be a size 4 in UK sizes), I'm happy to forward to anyone who might need them. They're bright pink patent & are pretty scuffed at the front, but the actual boot is still OK.

DD also has Down Syndrome, so has hypermobility in all joints (you should see how she wants to sleep!)

[Bryzoan]

Hi, my dd also is hypermobile and tends to turn her feet out and we have boots. What shoe size is your.dd? We have some that I think are size 3 she has grown out of (will check). I would be delighted to send them on.. My dd does have other issues - but I know loads of kids through a hip dysplasia group I am on who don't (apart from hip dysplasia). I would say try not to worry too much about other issues that aren't there (but if her legs are different lengths or she has asymetric creases by her buttocks or a wonky crawl get a hip x- ray).

[OliveYew]

Boots aren't always the best thing because the strength has to be built anyway. My daughter has Down Syndrome and is 2yrs tomorrow - still not walking, with her ankles being the main stumbling point. She will be getting boots, but here are some exercises we have been prescribed. Obviously side to side cruising along a table is the best way to build ankle stability, but also try putting little stickers on the sole of her feet especially under the small toes so she has to turn the foot inwards to pick them off. Pasta between the toes and also walking on kidney beans or marballs.

[survivingwinter]

Try Babybotte shoes - sorry can't link but Charles Clinkard do them if you have a branch nearby? They are very supportive but with a flexible sole unlike Kickers which are a bit stiff I find.

From what I have read about benign low muscle tone most children will grow out of this problem as they develop strength to compensate. My dd has very mild CP with low tone and hypermobility which has gradually improved over the years with physio etc. She walked at 20 months old but took a while to get steady due to tone and joints.

[TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission]

you could consider walking boots, they're not as supportive as piedros but do a pretty good job and are a lot cheaper if you shop around, have a look here for some ideas

[hazeyjane]

does she wear anything on her feet at the moment? Did the physio recommend any shoes/boots, in light of the fact that she doesn't qualify for piedros.

[inadreamworld]

Oh dear...it looks as if the boots are expensive. If her ankles don't straighten out soon on their own I may need to get them. Physio says DD isn't 'bad enough' to need the boots.

[inappropriatelyemployed]

My son has HMS and despite spending time in Gt Ormond St and needing physio, we have always been fobbed off on the boots.

A new physio eventually prescribed specialist trainers from these people de novo we just had to pay £20 towards them.

They have been great and we may pay for another pair ourselves.

[sneezecakesmum]

Piedro stability boots (the ones usually on prescription) are usually around £134 (sorry) but they sometimes have them reduced like these www.gilbert-mellish.co.uk/Shop/Products/stability-boots/1274.aspx (£67)
You can also get some from the fb special needs equipment site or ebay special needs from time to time. They are usually in excellent condition as the children often dont walk much in them. Piedros are really far superior to other shoes.

[ouryve]

DS2 is hypermobile, with low tone and he wore Piedros when he was little - he didn't walk until 21 months and was still falling over a lot at 3. He refuses to wear them, now, but they really helped him to build up his walking stamina and increase his muscle tone. They were prescribed by a physio and provided by an orthotist.

And to answer your other question, his primary diagnosis is ASD.

He's almost 7, now and still very squish, but so much stronger. HIs back is straight when he stands now and he's quite strong - capable of moving the furniture around the room!

[lovethesun1]

I think that the boots give the ankle muscles support & the child the confidence to walk,which in turn strengthens the muscles (although time without boots is important too). Maybe it depends on the degree of hypermobility? My ds was a very late walker, 3.5ish but now he's started he is very quickly catching up gross motor wise. Boots helped a lot as did swimming & riding for overall tone.

[inadreamworld]

bial I assume your DD is walking now - what age was she when she started walking without holding on to something?

Thanks montage and ninja for the links.

I am wondering what would happen if I didn't buy her the boots - would the bendy ankles straighten out on their own? What I mean is do the boots help strengthen the muscles or do they just provide support to get hypermobile kids walking earlier than they would normally?

[TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission]

you can buy piedro boots here check out the sale section! I'd ask for a referral to an orthotist, even if they won't supply the boots they may advise on what ones would be best, they may suggest insoles depending on what your dd needs

[montage]

If you had your child's feet measured, you can get piedros secondhand if you wanted

You can get second-hand piedros on ebay, or if you post the size on here, sometimes people have boots their children have grown out of.

DS did well with memo shoes, but ultimately needed to go back to piedros (but he has extremely low tone). They used to be cheaper than piedros. www.equiptomove.co.uk/epages/es134890.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es134890/Categories/Shoe_Gallery

[bialystockandbloom]

My dd has mildly hypermobile ankles, knees and hips, and low muscle tone. She has no other sn.

Her podiatrist said that swimming is about the best thing for building overall muscle tone, also when she's older (she's only 3yo now) ballet and horse riding, as these help turn the hips/knees outwards.

We didn't qualify for piedro boots but have tried to stick to Kickers or Start-rite, as these have good sturdy heel support.

I think long term problems could include painful joints (knees/hips) and also back problems - that's just what I've heard from (adult) friends though.