Children normally have feet that appear flat until the age of 2 or 3, because the longitudinal arch in the foot is covered with a fat pad, Andrew Chong, M.D., states on the website Orthoseek. By age 3, when the fat pad disappears, true flat feet become more evident. Only 20 percent of children lack an arch by age 10, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports, and most don't require treatment. Severely flat feet may require arch support.
Risk Factors
Flexible flatfoot is a common condition in which the foot appears flat when the child stands, but the arch is visible when he's sitting or standing on his toes. It usually causes no symptoms. Children with lax ligaments are prone to flat feet. Children with certain syndromes, such as Down syndrome, often have lax ligaments, according to the UMMC, but the tendency toward loose joints and ligaments can also be inherited. Overweight children also are more likely to develop flat feet; 56 percent of obese children have flexible flatfoot as compared to 27 percent of normal-weight children, according to a Taiwanese study reported by Lower Extremity Review.
Types
Ready-made plastic arches such as the UCB arch, developed by the University of California Biometrics Lab, are commonly used in children from ages 3 to 8, because their feet grow rapidly and custom orthotic arches are expensive, Dr. Chong explains. More serious cases may require custom orthotics, built specifically for a particular child from a mold of her foot, the Podiatry Network states.
Benefits
Wearing supportive arches in shoes helps prevent worsening of flat feet. Arch supports don't cure flat feet, but they do decrease foot pain and improve an abnormal gait, which decreases the chance of knee or leg pain or injury due to faulty body mechanics, the Podiatry Network states.
Timing
There's no benefit to treating children under the age of 2 for flat feet, except in cases of severe disability as determined by your physician. If your child's foot still appears excessively flat between the ages of 2 and 3, seeing a foot specialist such as a podiatrist or orthopedist can help determine whether your child actually needs supportive arches, the Podiatry Network says.
Considerations
Flexible flatfoot rarely causes long-term problems, the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons states. Only if the foot becomes rigid or pain occurs does the foot require treatment with arches or, in rare cases, with surgery. Obesity in children can complicate or prolong the need for treatment, Lower Extremity Review states.
