As your child begins to stand and takes his first tentative steps, you may be concerned because he is walking with his toes pointing in or out while standing on his arches. While it is normal for a parent to worry, your child is most likely developing normally, according to physical therapist Gena Livingston. If your child isn’t developing arches after about six months of walking or so, he will probably have flat feet for life. But this isn’t much of a problem, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Those First Steps
Toddlers who are first learning to walk tend to spread their legs and walk on their arches to help stabilize their stance and develop their balance. They may walk with their toes turned in or out, but perhaps most notably they walk on the insides of their feet. Walking on their arches is because their arches haven’t yet formed.
Flat Feet
A flat foot is defined as a foot that hasn’t developed an arch. The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that arches in your foot don’t form until you’re around 2 to 3 years old, but sometimes they never develop. The condition rarely causes any problems. You should notice an arch forming in your child after he has been walking for six months or so.
Causes of Flat Feet
Your child will often stand and begin taking his first steps before the age of 2 or 4, before their arches have had the chance to develop. Since his arches haven’t formed yet, you may notice that he tends to stand on the inside of his feet, which are equipped with fat pads to cushion these first tentative steps. This, coupled with the wide foot position as the child learns to balance, can give him a clumsy stride as he first begins to walk.
Concerns
You shouldn’t be worried during the first six months or so as your child begins to walk unless he complains of severe leg, hip or knee pain. The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that foot development will occur whether your child develops flat feet or not. Nothing can or should be done to help treat flat feet unless it causes severe pain, which can indicate a more serious condition.
