17 Month Old Daughter Seems to Have Crooked Leg

My friend's daughter had this problem. Their doctor said give it until age 2 to straighten out on its own, and if it doesn't they will refer her to an orthopaedic specialist. She too was really clumsy and seemed to swing her left leg from the hip instead of picking it up and placing it forward. She also couldn't run without falling a lot. By two it was much better, but still a bit off, so she went to the specialist who did a bunch of tests and said it was fine, if in six months she was still having problems they could re-evaluate. She is now 2.5 and her leg is fine. She is still a bit clumsy, but some kids just are. Definitely take her to the doctor, but I wouldn't stress about it right now.

We went through this with our son. Everone kept saying it would fix itself, but it never seemed to, so we kept pushing and saw a specialist. He too said it would fix it self! We waited again and still nothing different, so more tests, x-rays and another specialist. This one explained it to us like this, "some kids are born with red hair, you can't change it to blonde, some kids are born with blue eyes, you can't change them to brown, your son was born with the legs he was born with and they are just fine" He told us to start [paying attention to how people walk and to notice some twist thier hips a little more (which is where the "problem" was with our son and it made it look more as though it was his leg) some people have feet that go inward and others that go outward. We looked and noticed that he was right. Our son did eventually start walking a little better without twisting so much and he does fine. Oneday I noticed that my grampa walks pretty much the same way. I noticed to that they were built the same! So I guess my son takes after my grandpa!!! (my son is almost 7 now!)

Have you checked with your pediatrician? A friend of mine has a daughter who was referred to a specialist because of something that seems very similar. She is now wearing corrective shoes to help straighten her feet.

Hi J.,
This is Dr. Demaray, I am a chiropractor who specializes in pediatrics. Your baby's leg could be subluxated, which means it is not in the correct alignment with the joint and could be affecteing her walking. This type of mis-alignment can happen in the womb. It can occur due to the position she was in as a growing fetus. The joints and the muscles sometimes will not go back into place on their own and they need a little help getting back into place. This is what I do with gentle chiropactic adjustments.

Please let me know if I can help.
Sincerely,
Dr. C. Demaray, Vacaville
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contact your local Earlystart program for an assessment. If there are any issues they can get physical therapy started and address them so that the issues are less likely to affect her later. Good luck!

Hi J.,
One of my cousins had something very similar. When she was just begging to walk (I think about a year old or so) my aunt and uncle noticed that she was walking weird. They noticed that her feet were turning inward. At first they thought that it may have been her trying to get the hang of walking, however it continued. So they took her to a specialist that gave her special orthopetic (sp?) shoes with a brace, well it was more like a bar from one she to the other. That she wore over night while she slept. I don't really know why over night, I guess so that she would keep them on. Anyhow, she only had to do this for a couple months and it worked great. You would never know that she had had any problem at all and it's been almost 9 years ago.
Hope I could help some.
Good luck and take care.
-A.

Hi,
My son had that too... even though he walked at 11 months, he had one leg that crooked inwards. We took him to our network chiropractor and she acb b adjusted his ankle and it did the trick! We think maybe it was something from birth or his posture in vitro or? An osteopath (which is a bone doctor) or a craniosacral therapist might also be another option to consider.

I have not experienced this personally with my children, but I would like to make a recommendation for you to contact the Shriners Children's Hospital in Sacramento. One of their specialties is Orthopaedics. You can check it out on their website or you could also call 1-800-237-5055. I don't believe their is much cost involved. I always think it is important to discuss with doctors/nurses that specialize in Children. I hope it is nothing too serious that can be corrected. Take care.

You are wise to notice that and get it checked out. The younger they are when they receive any needed therapy, the better they do later on in life. It may not be something that needs therapy, but if it does, catching it now rather than later is much easier & better.
GOOD LUCK! Oh and dont worry too much - worrying doesn't change anything except maybe your hair color - just do what you can do (which you already have) like make the appt, find out your options, then go from there.

Hi J.,
I would suggest seeing an orthopedic doctor. I was born with a condition known as hip dysplasia and your child's symptoms are quite distinct. My parents noticed when I attempted to stand up in my crib and one leg looked shorter than the other. Basically hip dysplasia is when the hips sockets have not correctly formed. With the right doctor and the right treatment this is totally correctable at an early age. I had to have several sessions with the doctor which enabled my hips to grow and wore a body cast for many months. I am able to walk fine now. However if this is what your child has and does not receive treatment right away she may walk with a limp for the rest of her life. Check out the UCSF Children's hospital website for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip. I wish all the best for you, your daughter and the rest of your family.

I would recommend talking to your pediatrician about it right away. If there is an issue, you may be referred to an orthopedic surgeon, neurologist or physical therapist. It may be nothing to worry about but it is always better to have things looked at early!