Taking Care of Kids’ Health – A Guide For Parents (Part Two)

Q. Why is a foot examination important?

A. Many of the body’s movements and conditions are interconnected. Because the feet are the foundation of the body, foot problems can lead to stress or pain in other areas. During the first 12-18 months of life, the structure of the foot is primarily soft cartilage – usually not strong enough to support the body. Around the time a baby begins learning to stand up, cartilage rapidly develops into bone. At about two years old, the bowed legs and “toed-in” feet of infancy straighten out as the child begins to walk. Then at about age three, a knock-kneed, toed-in stance may develop as a result of normal skeletal growth: this appearance usually straightens out by the age of six or seven.

Q. So a child’s feet and legs usually correct any postural problems they have by about age seven?

A. Unfortunately, not all conditions disappear. A survey of 52 five-year-old children showed that 92.3% had knocked knees, and 77.9% had hyperpronation. While noticeable knock-knees usually disappear by age seven, hyperpronation does not.

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