My husband has flat feet and we want to be able to nip it in the bud with our 16 month old son if he has them. The thing is he's only been walking for about 3 months now. When he's walking they look flat and when he sits it looks like he has an arch. Should we wait until he's older to be concerned or is this the time to see if he needs corrective shoes?
Thanks for all the advice! We just play the "wait and see" for now. He is barefoot at home all the time so that's a good thing. He gives us SO many smiles everyday and makes us SO happy I just want to do the same in return. Thanks again!
My pediatrician's explained that all babies have flat feet. Their arches don't really start forming until much later, at least till age 3, some doctors say they wait until age 6 to really diagnose flat feet. Walking barefoot at home is best and then a flexible sole when he does need to wear shoes. Best of luck and don't worry too much for now...
My 15 year old looked like he had flat feet as a baby, the doctors told us that there is technically not such a thing as "falt feet". He was terrible at coordination as a toddler and young child. In the 6th grade at then end of the school year he complained about his feet cramping. I took him to a podiatrist here in West Palm Beach, FL. They ended up operating on both feet and inserting this screw that looked like a little bullet by going in through the ankle side. He was missing some cartilage that holds the tendons up to give you an arch. Because this went on so long they also had to cut the achiles tendon to allow his legs to grow properly. Now my skinny little 4 1/4 foot son is 6 foot 3 inches. He grew 6 inches over the next 6 months and 3 shoe sizes. I am NOT sorry we did the surgery and our insurance covered it. Dr. Lerner said he was at the perfect age since he was still in a development stage. So, you say should you be concerned, in my opinion, YES, watch him but don't rush it. there IS still time to correct it. The only side effects my son has is that he has a tiny scar on each ankle and at the achiles above his heel. Best of luck to you.
my feet are terribly flat. flat & narrow.
I think you cannot do much until they are 3 years old. They need to be a bit more developed.
Then, you would get orthodics to help give the foot/arch some added support. I do not know if flat feet can be 'corrected.' You'd have to ask a pediatric podiatrist.
I do know that when I was a child, nothing was done because I did not experience any pain from having flat feet. When I was in my early twenties, I was fitted for orthodics. As a woman, I think it'd be much easier for a boy to have flat feet, because the majority of the time they wear closed shoes and can wear orthodics in them. For me, it's very very very difficult to find shoes that fit, especially sandals/open shoes. I cannot wear high heels. Basically, all the 'fun' of shoe-shopping is not there for me (never has!)...
WHY WORRY??? My son has flat feet and he is doing fine in life, even is a U.S. Marine!!! Be grateful you have both feet!
DON"T worry about it.
My mother ruined my childhood fussing over it and making me wear horrible uncomfortable things. So, I have a low arch, who cares? It never mattered! It never impacted me in a negative way at all except my mother's worry and torture! Don't give it a moment's thought!
Most babies look like they have flat feet. I would discuss your concerns with your pediatrician for advice.
Most babies feet look flat. Still, the best thing you can do to help him develop his feet is let him walk around the house barefooted. This helps him "feel" the floor, its texture (if there is a rug), if it is warm or cold; different sensations he will need to know as he grows older. Enjoy your baby and all his stages. They are so precious.
C., the last I heard about flat feet and babies was that you shouldn't worry about that. It takes time for the muscles of the feet to develop, so it's too soon to tell if he's flat-footed or not. There is also a theory that most flat-footedness is actually CAUSED by hard-soled, flat, ultra-stiff baby shoes! You know, the kind that they usually have bronzed! The best advice I got when my son was a baby is to allow him to be barefoot as much as possible so that his feet can develop naturally -- being barefoot allows the full range of motion in the feet, and so the muscles all get a good workout. Unless there is a deformity in his precious little feet, you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
When you do have to put shoes on him, make sure they fit him comfortably and allow him to use his feet without constricting them. Sneakers are good for this. Again, those awful little hard shoes that encase the whole foot can actually cause problems with foot development. My advice is to not put any shoes on him at all unless he needs them to protect his feet when he's walking outside.
I hope this is helpful!
