Flat Feet in Children

You probably worry because your child has flat feet. You should know that flat feet are a condition in which the foot doesn't have a normal arch. Feet that have a low arch or no arch at all are called flat feet or fallen arches. Don’t worry if your baby foot looks flat, because all babies' feet look flat. Arches form by the time child is 2 or 3 years old. Flat feet at this age rarely require any treatment. Person who has a low arch or no arch at allis said to have flat feet. Flat feet in children occur with high frequency and treatment is somewhat controversial. You should know that some pediatricians and orthopedic surgeons will tell you that flat feet are normal and that the child will grow out of flat feet.

Causes

Flat Feet in many people, is just the shape the foot is. It may be hereditary. Flat Feet are caused by loose joint connections between the foot bones. When this happened the arch falls when your child stands up. You should know that foot is made up of 26 bones held together by 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. Flat feet are normal in infants, because the foot's arch hasn't yet developed. Most people's arches develop throughout childhood. Lax ligaments can also cause flatfeet.

Symptoms

Some children with flat feet get aching in the arch, around the ankle or down the outer side of the foot. Small percentage of children has feet so flat that they have symptoms either of pain, or a dislike for physical activities like running.

Children with very over pronated feet tend to wear shoes out very quickly.Your child may feel foot or ankle pain. If your child is older flat feet can cause pain in the heel or arch, or may cause pain when the child is walking and running. If your child complains and have pain you should take child to doctor. Doctor will look at your child's feet to make sure that the pain isn't caused by a problem in the hip or the knee. Doctor will tell you what the problem is just by looking at your child's feet. Only when the foot is very flat some sort of treatment is required.

How to know does your child has flat feet

If your child foot is flat, then the strip is the same width as the front of the foot, creating a footprint that looks like a stretched out pancake.

Take the child’s shoes, and put them on a flat table and view them at eye level from behind. Flat feet will cause more wear on the inside of the sole, especially in the heel area. Both shoes should wear about the same way.

If you think that your child have flat feet take child to doctor. Doctor will examine your child feet. As part of the examination, your doctor will observe your feet from the front and the back and ask you to stand on your toes so he or she can view the mechanics of your feet. When a child who is between ages six and 10, have flat feet, and a flexible flat feet is confirmed, immediate intervention is necessary to encourage normal development of the longitudinal arch, and to prevent spinal postural deformities

To view the interior structure and bones of child feet, doctor may request an imaging which may include an X-ray, a computerized tomography scan or a magnetic resonance imaging scan.

Treatment

Most flat feet cause no trouble and do not need treatment. The arch support can help the mild flat foot. An in-shoe orthotic can actually benefit any child with flat feet. This device never causes harm. Worn from an early enough age they might actually help the adult position of the foot. All podiatrists and orthopedists can provide you with custom orthotics. If the child is 10 or older, the flexible flatfeet can be considered permanent. The long-term use of orthotics will be required to prevent future problems in the feet and spine. This is especially important when one foot is flatter than the other. Asymmetrical forces imposed during locomotor’s activities can eventually result in significant trauma to the foot. Flat feet can cause problems when child is overweight or athletically active.

If treatment is needed it includes:

• Arch supports, called foot orthotics. There are three types rigid, semirigid and soft. The type that's right for your child depends on what kind of support doctor is trying to provide to your child feet. . If your child has foot pain, your doctor may recommend a shoe insert. The arch support does not change the shape of the foot.
• Orthopedic shoes are only useful to keep the shoe on your child's foot.
• Surgery

Surgery

Very rare surgery is performed. Children who have an abnormal foot because it has not developed properly may need an operation to straighten the foot. There are two types of surgical procedures. If symptoms cannot be controlled with shoe changes and orthotic arch supports, then surgical procedure is solution. In first surgical procedure surgeon insert a small cylindrical plug into the heel bone joint. The surgical procedure to insert the cylindrical plug takes approximately 20 minutes. The child is able to walk on the foot after a few days using either a short leg walking cast or removable walking boot. If the foot gets more deformed, first surgery may not be sufficient to correct the flat foot deformity. The other operation is to change the shape of the foot with bone cuts and combine this with the use of a bone graft. First procedure is a very successful in the correction of the child's flat foot.

Complications

Surgery sometimes does not result in satisfactory results for all patients.

Self-care

Depending on the severity of your child foot or symptoms, your doctor may advise you to limit your child weight-bearing activities while wearing orthopedic shoes or arches support. This is good for the swelling and pain in your child feet to subside. You should strengthen the child's lower leg muscles with home exercises. Talk about this with your child podiatrist. Insist the child wear supportive shoes with a stable heel and a strong counter.

Proper shoes are important for the developing foot. When child is going barefoot stimulates proprioceptors and encourages muscular coordination and strength. Shoes should have flexible soles to allow for proper foot joint movement. Constricting shoes stop normal growth and may result in deformity. Frequent evaluation of size and fit is an important concept for parents to understand and accept.

When symptoms have subsided, your child can return to normal activities, including exercise. The cycling and swimming are the best for your child, especially when child first get back to activity. Doctor may suggest continued use of orthotics while child walking.

Parents need reassurance and appropriate recommendations when their child has flat feet. Most of child’s flat feet conditions will resolve during normal growth and development.