20 Months Old Walking Style Not Normal

Take her to the orthopedist as soon as you can get na
appt. Better to be safe than sorry,. If any correction
needs to be done, the longer it goes the harder it is
on everyone. In the meantime, and don't laugh, put
her shoes on the wrong feet. Gently forces her to
straighten foot. Good luck.

where do you live? there is a way to correct developmental movement patterns through gentle exercises, but most doctors have no clue about it. i know of people in nyc and amherst,mass who do this work- here's a link:

http://www.amajoy.net/individual.html

The therapy is called body-mind centering, and it can help your baby correct imbalances in her body/movement patterns. Best of luck!

My oldest daughter, who is now 8,also walked very young(no joke at 8 months) and actually had both feet slightly turn in. I did go to the Ortho and got her feet fitted for what they call cookies(cookies are plastic inserts to put in you childs shoes that over time correct whatever problem there is). Honestly I never really used them, her pediatrician suggested,as did other veteran moms that I just put her shoes on backwards and not only be more comfortable but gets the same results,if your concerned about her looking funny in public then put them on like that in the house. I only did that for a while too and as an 8 year old she's absoulutely fine. I was only concerned at first because she tripped alot and had many a bumps on her cute little noggin and hated to see her like that,but in all reality her falling may have just been a result from her walking so young,maybe her brain and body were not quite adjusted to working together just yet. My advice is if she's not really falling alot and her ped.says she's o.k. then don't stress about it and just wait it out. The backwards shoe thing did help though. The other thing is to make sure the shoes are proper,when I buy evryday shoes for my girls I always go through a mental check list, first how flexible are the soles, they should bend easily, are they slippery or skid proof/resisitent,how soft or comfortable does the inside feel, how high or supportive is the arch etc. MANY shoes out there do not fit that criteria. But are made stylish and cheaply so then get bought and sold to us. Hope my info helps,good luck. J.

check with a prediatric orthopedist or a pediatric podiatrist...or both

As a Chiropractor who has treated this type of problem many times over the years I would suggest that you consult with a local Chiropractor that has alot of experience with this type of issue and takes care of children on a regular basis. Very often the turning in of the foot is related to the pelvis and very easily corrected through very gentle adjustment. Of course, other causes of the foot turning have to be ruled-out and the Chiropractor can do that as part of the examination and initial treatment. If you need help finding a local Chiropractor, feel free to contact me.

Dear R., Yes you should see an orthopedist. They may give your daughter some special shoes and an exercise to do. My daughter had this and at 7 months she had to wear shoes attached to a bar to straighten out her feet. Go as soon as possible. Grandma Mary

My daughter did this too. Her legs are now perfectly straight and her feet point forward. It corrected itself just as the doctor told me it would. It took a long time though. She's 17 now and I didn't really notice exactly when it happened. At 11 it was still there so I guess when puberty hit. Her one leg was quite turned in--enough for her to sometimes even trip over her own foot.

Chiropractic should be part of every child's life but yours for sure.

I would say just let the pediatrician keep an eye on it before seeking specialist treatment. My 2nd daughter was very bowlegged and her feet turned slightly inward when she walked. We did special shoes and a medal bar to keep her feet in correct position when sleeping. It was a nightmare. I finally called the dr and asked 'what if we did nothing? what would happen?' The answer was 'chances are it would work itself out in a couple years.' We got rid of everything and now she's 24 yrs old, perfectly straight legs and feet in correct alignment.

go to a pediatric orthopedist.. my daughter walked wobbly for a long time.. and because we adopted her at 7 months old.. and didn't know her health background i was concerned with maybe her hips be out of line.. this happens sometimes during birth.. well the ortho checked her out..and found out she is double jointed.. he told us to put her in dance classes or swim classes after age 3.. to make her legs limber.. she is a dancer now.. can do a perfect split.. and walks perfect too... good luck

No is not normal, you need to see a PODIATRIST so he can determine if its a mild case and you need exercises . yes they can growth out of it depending on how her case is. Your podiatrist will tell you better on what to do.

My son's left foot pointed toward his right foot also, and I noticed it b4 he began walking. My ped told me the same thing, but I took him to see the ortho. I was told to massage the bone right at the base of the front of the leg where his foot connects to the leg. It's the bone right in the middle, at the slope, and I was told to just take my finger and just slide my finger down the bone, a little tension, but not too firm to where it would irritate the skin or hurt the baby. I think I did it every day, periodically throughout the day. (Trying to remember how long I did it, he's 17 now). Slowly but surely I noticed his foot turning straight. Hope this helps!

She really would need to be evaluated by an orthopedist or a physical therapist. A physical therapist would know what, if any, exercises would help her. If you think it doesn't look right, I'd get the referral to the orthopedist. Any issues are better corrected when they are young. Good luck!

I just wanted to chime in to say that I had that issue as a baby and had to wear shoes with the bar on them. I went on to be a captain of three H.S. sports teams and led my league in scoring (basketball)! Not to brag, just to reassure you that this is all going to be JUST FINE! :) You are worried (of course, that's our job), so just go have an expert check it out to ease your mind and find out if anything needs to be done now. Hang in there and don't panic.

It's not uncommon, and many kids grow out of it over time. But to make sure it that is the case, and to ease your mind, I would go see an ortho. Unless he/she advises it, I wouldn't do tooo much at this point, as you might end up overcorrecting the problem.

Sounds like she is pigeon-toed. My son was too (especially when he ran) and our pediatrician said these days doctors like to just wait before doing anything to address it because they've discovered most kids simply grow out of it.

My son was bad enough that I would occasionally worry he was going to trip himself while running. But he has just about grown out of it now - his foot barely goes in anymore (he just turned 5). Did the doctor say she should grow out of it? I wouldn't worry too much right now and just talk to him about it again when you take her in for her 2 yr appt.

Hi R.
Sorry you are worried about your daughter.
First you have done the right thing in asking the MD if there is a problem. Since he says no, rest in that for a month or so then call the office and ask how long he anticipates she will walk in the unusual manner. If the answer of _______ upsets you then ask when he would consider sending you to a specialist, and then when therapy would be in order. You are your daughter's advocate, and unless you do it, it won't get done.
If that date is not reasonable get a second opinion from another out of network MD.
God bless you with His wisdom
Kare--- SAHM married 39 years--- probably old enough to be your mom with adult children --- 38,33 & twins 19