A child’s foot is a complicated structure of growing bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Up until maturity children’s foot still grows and expands.
A podiatrist would usually perform a thorough walking and foot posture assessment. This will include looking at muscle lengths. Healthcare standards for podiatrists include ‘Foot Posture Index’ to determine if an intervention is required. It is very common for podiatrists to provide footwear education and orthotics/ insoles to re- align the foot and body for better functionality and less “wear and tear”. Another important assessment is for the in-toed and out-toed walking style.
It is advisable that a child should be checked by a podiatrist if events such as frequent tripping and an observable awkward walking style or unique looking knees or feet.