Expectations in life are important. Case in point: knowing how many guests are attending your wedding helps determine how big the cake needs to be. From nuptials to honeymoon to establishing your family and having children, you have certain expectations. New parents typically expect their firstborn to be healthy with normal foot arches—or at least to see them when the child begins walking.
If a son or daughter has pediatric flatfoot, it might cause concern or confusion, but at Advanced Foot and Ankle, we can assure you that there isn’t likely anything to be worried about.
Foot Arch Development
The first thing to know when it comes to the development of foot arches is that they generally do not begin appearing until around the age of 3. Prior to this, early foot arches do actually exist but are obscured by a layer of padding. What this means is that a toddler will begin taking those first steps on feet that are quite flat. Realize that this is completely normal as it relates to child foot development and should not be a cause for concern.
Flexible Flat Foot Explained
After 3 years of age, his or her foot arches might begin to emerge. Even so, there are many children who still appear to have flat feet when they walk or stand. This is a fairly common condition known as flexible flatfoot. Arches can usually be observed when a child is sitting and his or her legs are dangling (there is no weight on the feet) or when standing on tiptoes. This condition may be present until around the age of 8, at which point foot arches are normally quite developed and become stronger.
Flexible flatfoot is not painful for the majority of children who have it, but symptoms might be present when the condition extends into the adolescent years. A symptom of particular concern is pain that is experienced along the bottom of the feet. If your son or daughter has foot discomfort, contact our office and schedule an appointment so we can provide the treatment he or she needs.