Parents always worry about flat feet, but what they don’t know is that flat feet are normal in infants, children and adults. Special shoes or exercises do not produce an arch in a child with a flexible flatfoot at the end.
Indeed, one in five children never develops an arch and most adults have no pain on their feet when they have flexible flatfeet.
Baby´s Feet
Babies are born with a pad of fat where an arch would usually be in an adult foot. Actually, arches show up when children are about 2 ½ years old; an infant’s little feet will get tougher and rougher with age: You should know that the skin on your foot soles, next to the palms of the feet is the thickest on the body.
It’s normal for a baby’s feet and legs to bow inward, because of the curled-up position of the fetus in the womb. When the baby is in an early age it´s hard to determine if the baby has foot problems, so don’t get scared too soon.
It is also important to consider that normal arches have different heights; and, wearing a pad or insert it under the arch of a simple flexible flatfoot can make your child less comfortable, and this will only mean a waste of money.
Podiatrists are concerned if the flatfoot is: stiff, painful or very severe; they need to examine the child’s foot to determine the best solution.
And, maybe he/she will be concerned about a high arch because it is most likely to cause pain later.
So don’t wait too much to see a specialist if you think your child has problems, most variations of normal are outgrown. Your doctor will make sure things go well for your child.
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