Children and Baby’s Feet

You worry about your children’s teeth, eyes, and other parts of the body. You teach washing, brushing, and grooming, but what do you do about your child’s feet–those still-developing feet which have to carry the entire weight of the body through a lifetime?

Many adult foot ailments, like other bodily ills, have their origins in childhood and are present at birth. Periodic professional attention and regular foot care can minimize these problems in later life.

Neglecting foot health invites problems in other parts of the body, such as the legs and back. There can also be undesirable personality effects. The youngster with troublesome feet walks awkwardly and usually has poor general posture. As a result, the growing child may become shy, introverted, and avoid athletics and social functions. Consultation between the podiatrist, pediatrician, and other medical specialists helps to resolve these related problems.

Your Baby’s Feet

The human foot–one of the most complicated parts of the body–has 26 bones, and is laced with ligaments, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. Because the feet of young children are soft and pliable, abnormal pressure can easily cause deformities.

A child’s feet grow rapidly during the first year, reaching almost half their adult foot size. This is why foot specialists consider the first year to be the most important in the development of the feet.

Here are some suggestions to help you assure that this development proceeds normally:

• Look carefully at your baby’s feet. If you notice something that does not look normal to you, seek professional care immediately. Deformities will not be outgrown by themselves.
  
• Cover baby’s feet loosely. Tight covers restrict movement and can retard normal development.
  
• Provide an opportunity for exercising the feet. Lying uncovered enables the baby to kick and perform other related motions which prepare the feet for weightbearing.
  
• Change the baby’s position several times a day. Lying too long in one spot, especially on the stomach, can put excessive strain on the feet and legs.

 Content courtesy of the American Podiatric Medical Association. If you have any concerns about the health of your children’s feet and would like to consult a specialist, please visit us at www.chicagopodiatry.com for detailed contact information.

Top Ten Foot Health Tips

1. Don’t ignore foot pain—it’s not normal. If the pain persists, see a podiatric physician.

2. Inspect your feet regularly. Pay attention to changes in color and temperature of your feet. Look for thick or discolored nails (a sign of developing fungus), and check for cracks or cuts in the skin. Peeling or scaling on the soles of feet could indicate athlete’s foot. Any growth on the foot is not considered normal.

3. Wash your feet regularly, especially between the toes, and be sure to dry them completely.

4. Trim toenails straight across, but not too short. Be careful not to cut nails in corners or on the sides; it can lead to ingrown toenails. Persons with diabetes, poor circulation, or heart problems should not treat their own feet because they are more prone to infection.5. Make sure that your shoes fit properly. Purchase new shoes later in the day when feet tend to be at their largest and replace worn out shoes as soon as possible.

6. Select and wear the right shoe for the activity that you are engaged in (i.e., running shoes for running).

7. Alternate shoes—don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day.

8. Avoid walking barefooted—your feet will be more prone to injury and infection. At the beach or when wearing sandals, always use sunblock on your feet just as on the rest of your body.

9. Be cautious when using home remedies for foot ailments; self-treatment can often turn a minor problem into a major one.

10. If you are a person with diabetes, it is vital that you see a podiatric physician at least once a year for a check-up.

Tips come from the American Podiatric Medical Association

Presenting ePodiatry.org

One of the newest additions to the online podiatry resource library is ePodiatry.org a website dedicated to educating visitors about common podiatry disorders, finding podiatry clinics and sharing news about the subject.
We especially invite podiatry practitioners to join the growing listing of podiatry centers in the United States.
The project is sponsored by the Chicago Podiatric Surgeons.

ePodiatry.org

Podiatry resources

Here is a short list of useful online podiatry resources

American Podiatric Medical Association
American Board of Podiatric Surgery
American Diabetes Association
American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery
FootPhysicians.com
American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine
National Library of Medicine
ePodiatry.org

And always for detailed information about specific foot disorders you can visit us at Chicago Podiatric Surgeons