PODIATRIST DISCUSSES YOUNG CHILDREN'S FEET

According to podiatrist Monique Mitchell, "Nearly all children appear to have flat feet when they first start walking. This is partly due to posture and is associated with fatty deposits in the foot. When toddlers walk, they have to balance a relatively large head and torso so they walk with the knees bent, legs wide apart and the feet turned outwards. Parents are often anxious about when their child will walk. 

 

Dr. Monique Mitchell

 

"The average age to begin walking is 10 to 15 months. When your child first begins to walk, shoes are not necessary for indoors; however, when walking outside or on rough surfaces, the baby’s feet should be protected in lightweight, flexible footwear made of natural materials. On average, children’s feet grow two sizes per year in the first four years of life and one size per year thereafter until growth is complete around age 14. This is not written in stone, however, and sometimes a child’s feet may not grow for a considerable period of time and then grow several sizes in a short period," says Mitchell.

 

Source: Nassau Guardian [8/2/21]

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News