Flat feet in children are considered a common pathology and are being diagnosed more and more often, which can partly be explained by the global trend towards a sedentary, “computer-TV” lifestyle. What other factors are associated with this disease, how dangerous it is and how it is treated, we will consider further.
Thanks to properly formed arches of the feet, their main functions are performed: sharing the load, softening impacts, establishing balance, etc. Flat feet in a child are characterized by flattening of the arches, in which the foot is devoid of indentations from the inside and is almost completely adjacent to the floor surface. The forefoot gradually widens and the heel becomes tilted back.
Congenital flatfoot is rare, and it is associated with various intrauterine anomalies of fetal development, exposure to ionizing radiation, and bad habits of a pregnant woman. In this case, the disease is often detected immediately after birth and is combined with other defects. Often this is an acquired disease, which develops as the baby develops due to the following reasons:
It is worth knowing that flat feet in children under 6-8 years of age is in most cases a physiological phenomenon. When a child is born, his feet are flat, without obvious arches, which is explained by the cartilaginous structure of bone tissue, muscle weakness, and the predominance of fatty tissue on the plantar surface, which acts as a shock absorber. An abundance of soft tissue in the feet is present until about the age of three, and then gradually decreases. At the same time, the development of the ligamentous apparatus occurs, due to which an increase in the height of the arch is observed.
Thus, undergoing natural physiological changes, the arches of the feet, as well as the shape of the legs and posture, “mature” by a maximum of ten years of age. If the child’s development proceeds normally, correct arches are formed. Further, in adolescence, when increased growth and large-scale endocrine changes occur in the body, the musculoskeletal system of children again becomes vulnerable, susceptible to deformation, and the risk of developing flat feet increases.
The foot has two main arches - transverse (between the bases of the phalanges) and longitudinal (along the inner edge). Taking this into account, flat feet, the types of which are determined depending on the affected arch, are divided into transverse and longitudinal. A combined form of the disease is less common. In addition, the diagnosis of “valgus flatfoot” occurs when there is a deviation of the axis of the limb.
With this type of pathology, the transverse arch descends; the anterior section rests on the heads of all metatarsal bones. Such flat feet develop due to the genetic predisposition of the baby in combination with the action of external unfavorable factors. Gradually, due to the fan-shaped divergence of the bones, the length of the sole decreases, its width increases, the big toe deviates outward, and the middle finger undergoes deformation.
If a diagnosis of longitudinal flatfoot is made, the child experiences flattening of the longitudinal arch of the foot. As a result, the length of the foot increases, the entire surface coming into contact with the floor, and clubfoot gradually develops. A characteristic sign is increased wear of the sole of the shoe along the inner edge. The ankle joint with this pathology is inactive.
Often, longitudinal flatfoot, deformation of the foot in which leads to drooping of its middle part, causes valgus curvature. In this case, there is an outward rotation of the toes and heel bone and a curvature of the axis in the ankle joint (inward displacement). The reason is sometimes the baby’s early standing, injuries, or incorrect choice of shoes.
Footprint data is used to diagnose the disease. Depending on the intensity of the deformation, several stages of the disease are distinguished:
It is a mistake to believe that the pathology in question does not pose a serious threat to the child’s body, being, rather, a cosmetic defect. Even if this is incipient flatfoot, its consequences in the future can be very unfavorable for different systems of the body. The most common complications are:
The listed pathologies develop with flat feet in children due to increased load on the joints of the legs and spine in conditions of poor shock-absorbing ability of the feet. Such consequences are long-term, but before that, the child’s quality of life suffers from constant pain in the legs and back, increased fatigue, and his academic performance deteriorates.
Parents should know how to identify flat feet in a child so as not to miss precious time and promptly begin treatment. The following manifestations should alert you:
As a home test, you can use the fingerprint method. To do this, you need to take a clean sheet of paper and, after smearing the soles of the child’s feet with greasy cream, vegetable oil or watercolors, place it on this sheet. Moreover, the legs should be brought together, the feet should be placed on the same line parallel to each other, the back should be straight. In prints in the area between the heel and metatarsus, the width of the isthmus is normally a maximum of one third of the total width. Otherwise, there is a possibility of pathology. The final diagnosis is made by an orthopedist or podiatrist.
When flat feet are detected in children, treatment is prescribed at any age; it is complex and depends on the degree of damage. To do this, first of all, diagnostics are carried out using plantography, podometry, and radiography of the foot. Treatment methods for flat feet in children are aimed at strengthening the muscle structures of the legs, improving blood circulation, and correcting foot and ankle deformities through gentle physical impact on the ligaments and joints.
Depending on the extent of the changes, a set of leg exercises is recommended for the child, which can be done at home. Flat feet in children require regular treatment - only in this case can you count on a positive result. Therefore, classes should be carried out daily, once or twice a day. Exercise therapy for flat feet in children often includes exercises.
While sitting on a chair:
In a standing position:
You need to practice barefoot, repeating everything 10-12 times. For preschool children, all physical activities can be carried out in a playful way, clearly demonstrating the correctness of the exercises. In addition, it is useful for children with this diagnosis to walk sideways on a log, climb a rope, exercise on a gymnastic ladder, ride a bicycle, and swim.
If a child has flat feet, the doctor will tell you what to do to correct the situation. In most cases, prescribed therapeutic measures include a professional foot massage aimed at increasing muscle tone and improving metabolic processes. Flat feet in children are treated through massage in periodic courses of 10 to 15 sessions performed by a professional. Using kneading, stroking and rubbing, the foot is massaged from the heel to the toes, and the lower leg along the back side.
At home, an excellent therapeutic and preventive method for flat feet is walking on a special rug, the surface of which imitates the reliefs of pebbles of different sizes and grass, and is covered with small massaging spikes. Such a mat for flat feet for children is made from foamed polymer and is a set of several square parts that are connected in the form of a path, a snake, or in the shape of a rectangle. An orthopedic mat is quite capable of replacing carpet in a children's room, which will provide regular foot massage.
Similar accessories can be made independently from a piece of carpet onto which the following are attached:
Non-advanced flat feet in children, treatment at home, which is carried out taking into account all the doctor’s recommendations, is effectively corrected. One of the purposes is often to wear special insoles designed to properly distribute the load on the feet when walking, correct deformities and stop their progression. These products, selected or made individually, are recommended to be worn both on the street and at home.
Parents who are attentive to the health of their child are able to prevent the development of this disease at an early stage. Prevention of flat feet in children is based on following several simple recommendations:
When children are learning to walk, conditions inevitably arise for the development of flat feet: in order to maintain balance, they spread their legs wide and rely on the inner parts of the foot. The task of parents is to prevent the real development of the disease.
In this regard, in orthopedics, longitudinal (flattening of the longitudinal arch of the foot) and transverse (flatness of the forefoot) flatfoot are distinguished. If there is flattening of both arches, this is a combined appearance. In children, the longitudinal arch is usually deformed: if you look at the inside of a healthy child’s foot, you will notice that in the middle part it is raised and does not touch the floor. A baby's foot with flat feet touches the floor with the entire sole.
The baby gets tired and begins to ask to be picked up or put in a stroller after half an hour spent on his feet - this may not indicate capriciousness, but the painful sensations he experiences.
Another sure sign of the development of flat feet is quickly deforming shoes. If the inner edge of the sole or heel of the new shoes wears down after a month or a month and a half, or something is wrong with the child’s foot, it’s time to contact a pediatric orthopedist.
The diagnosis is made on the basis of a clinical examination, plantography (a method of obtaining a graphic “imprint” of the plantar surface of the foot on paper) and radiography. It is very important to visit a specialist regularly: it is better to prevent or treat flat feet before the age of 5–6 years, while the arch of the foot is forming. If the moment is missed, careful treatment lies ahead.
A comprehensive approach may be required. Parents should not treat their child without consulting a specialist; this can only make the situation worse. Children's flat feet are treatable in the early stages. Nevertheless, it is better to prevent flat feet before the age of 5–6 years.
Not only the appearance and size are important, it must ensure the correct position of the foot. Pay attention to the presence of a soft instep support (it helps the leg to form correctly), a hard heel and a small heel, no more than 1?1.5 cm. Reliable fasteners are required.
It could be laces or Velcro, the main thing is? so that they securely and softly fix the foot.
Avoid shoes made of hard and unnatural materials. Don’t forget that not only walking shoes should be “correct”, but also house shoes. Another golden rule is to buy new shoes for your child: the worn-in shoes of an older brother can cause harm.
Try to give your baby the opportunity to walk on more than just hard parquet or asphalt. Walking barefoot on green grass, warm earth, sand and pebbles is useful for the formation and development of children's feet and is fun and enjoyable for the child himself!
Exercises to prevent flat feet can be turned into a fun game. You and your child can walk together on your toes, then on your heels and the outer edges of your feet. If there is a gymnastics stick in the house, it is useful for the baby to roll it with his legs. Another useful activity is to pick up small objects with your toes. As soon as the baby confidently gets on his feet, you can start!
A fairly common diagnosis for children is flat feet. In the first years of life, children have weak foot muscles, which are protected from damage by a fatty “cushion” at the site of the rounded notch of the foot. Therefore, initially the soles of a newborn baby are flat at first glance.
But as the baby grows, the foot acquires a semicircular shape, which makes it possible to correctly distribute body weight when walking and maintain correct posture. The correct arch of the foot is formed by the age of 4 and is finally fixed by the age of 5 years.
It is very important to recognize this disease in time. There is a simple method for finding out that a 4-year-old child has flat feet - plantography. To do this, the baby’s sole is lubricated with a special coloring solution, and then the child stands on white sheets of paper, leaving an imprint on them.
Factors why flat feet occur in a 4 year old child:
- incorrectly selected shoes, wearing shoes after other children, etc. Ideally, children's shoes should have a half-centimeter heel, a hard heel and soft instep support;
- low physical activity;
- poor nutrition, improper phosphorus-calcium metabolism and lack of vitamin D;
- walking only on a flat, smooth surface, which does not train the foot. So, walking barefoot or in socks on pebbles, grass, sand, peas will help create the correct arch of the child’s foot.
There are two types of flat feet in a 4-year-old child:
- longitudinal, when the foot becomes flat along the axis;
- transverse, when when walking you rely on the pads of your toes and this zone expands and flattens. Normally, support should be placed on the first and fifth fingers. Impaired foot support leads to curvature of the child’s legs, problems with the spine, rapid fatigue, and the heel with such flat feet wears out along the inner edge.
Only a doctor can decide how to treat flat feet in a 4-year-old child. Each individual case has its own approach, which depends on the stage of detection of the disease.
It is much easier to correct the foot in the initial stage, when symptoms are detected at an early age. In such cases, the following is carried out:
— therapeutic massage and gymnastics;
- baths with sea salt;
— physiotherapy: stimulation of biologically active points, electrophoresis, paraffin “boots”, etc.;
- home exercises: walking on a textured rug, pebbles, drawing with felt-tip pens held in the child’s toes, using a variety of exercise equipment;
- wearing orthopedic insoles or shoes.
In order to cure flat feet in children 4 years old, daily work between parents and the child is necessary, and only in this case will the baby’s foot acquire the correct shape.
Babies, starting from the age of seven months, gradually learn to walk upright, which causes them a significant increase in the load on their lower limbs. When wearing correct, high-quality shoes and proper development, normal physiological development of the legs and feet occurs. With constant stress on them, various diseases, and excessive exercise, various disorders in the development of the legs can occur, one of which is flat feet.
Flat feet is the most common disease of the musculoskeletal system in children, characterized by deformation of the foot with flattening of its arch (usually longitudinal), as a result of which the sole becomes flat and touches the floor with its entire surface.
All mice have a flat longitudinal arch of the foot up to 2 years of age. And this is considered normal, since their soft and elastic bone tissue does not contain enough minerals to give it strength. Also, the muscular system is not fully developed. At 7-9 months, when babies begin to stand on their feet and take their first steps, the function of a shock absorber is performed by a “fat pad” located on the sole. At 2-3 years, the amount of minerals in the bones reaches normal, the ligaments and muscles become strong, and the articular surfaces acquire a normal appearance. The formation of bone tissue in the feet continues until approximately 5-6 years of age. Only after this period can flat feet be diagnosed or excluded in a child.
However, in some babies (about 3%), flat feet can already be detected immediately after birth. It is considered congenital and is a malformation of the musculoskeletal system. Most often, congenital flatfoot is combined with a disease - plano-valgus foot deformity.
Children 6-7 years old suffering from flat feet will complain of rapid fatigue when standing and walking, swelling and aching pain in the feet, which intensifies in the evening.
Signs of flat feet in children:
You can determine if a child has flat feet using a simple test. It is necessary to coat his feet with oil or cream, place a clean sheet of paper on the floor and ask him to stand on it, evenly distributing his body. If the child does not have problems with his feet, then the print of the feet on a piece of paper will look like in Figure 1, but if as in Figure 2, then most likely he has flat feet. It is necessary to visit an orthopedic doctor who will conduct a plantography and be able to most accurately make a diagnosis.
Mild congenital flat feet in children are treated by applying plaster casts, which will secure the foot in the correct position. The bandages are applied for 7-10 days, then removed and new ones are applied again. Treatment lasts 8-10 weeks. Afterwards, the baby is prescribed courses of physiotherapy, massage and wearing individually made orthopedic shoes. Severe forms of congenital flatfoot are treated only surgically.
Acquired flat feet in children are treated conservatively. The treatment is multicomponent and designed for a fairly long period. It includes:
The exercises are aimed at strengthening the muscles of the feet and lower leg muscles. They are carried out daily. Physical therapy also includes exercises on a special massage mat, the surface of which consists of various irregularities. When in contact with the sole, these irregularities help strengthen the muscles.
Treatment of flat feet in children will not be effective without wearing the right shoes - suitable in size, with a high hard back, good fasteners for fixing on the foot, made from natural materials, and a small heel (5-7 mm). Particular attention should be paid not only to the selection of shoes, but also to the insole with arch support. Therapeutic shoes can be purchased in specialized stores or, as prescribed by an orthopedist, they are made individually.
Depending on the degree of flat feet, massage is carried out in courses of 10-15 sessions up to 4 times a year.
Severe flat feet require treatment with physiotherapy. Most often, calcium electrophoresis of the ankle joints is used, which helps strengthen the ligaments, and electrical myostimulation of the lower leg muscles, which causes weakened muscles to contract. Physiotherapy is prescribed in courses 2 times a year for 10 sessions.
To reduce the risk of developing flat feet in a child, it is necessary, starting from a very early age, when the baby begins to stand on his feet, to carry out prevention, which consists of the following:
Flat feet is a disease that, if left untreated, can cause serious consequences - diseases of the musculoskeletal system, severe deformities of the bones of the foot. Therefore, you should not neglect treatment and prevention!
At first glance, a child’s foot is the same as an adult’s foot, only in a smaller form. However, upon closer examination, it turns out that this is not the case. A child's foot is flat, but this does not mean that all children are flat-footed. During the “child-adult” period, the foot goes through a series of metamorphoses, forming into a full-fledged functional organ of the human skeleton.
From birth, a child's arches are filled with subcutaneous fat, so the child's imprint will always be flat. The correct formation of the foot begins with the baby's first steps. And by the age of three or four years, the bones, muscles and appearance itself acquire the outlines of an adult foot, which allows the baby to be on his feet longer. The older the child, the better the clearance of the arch of the foot is visible. In some cases, the foot is formed incorrectly and flat feet occur. However, if the foot was formed correctly in childhood, a person is still not immune from this disease in the future.
Most often, flat feet are determined by a doctor using plantography. The patient's feet are smeared with a special solution, after which he stands on clean sheets of paper. The painted print itself is examined. This method works well for adults. In children, due to the age characteristics of the foot, an error may be made when using this technique.
As can be seen in the figure, the younger the child (especially under 3-4 years old), the more the imprint of his foot resembles flat feet. Therefore, to diagnose flat feet in children and identify its symptoms, they often resort to a direct examination by an orthopedic doctor.
At home, parents can independently identify the following signs of flat feet in children:
If you notice at least one of these signs in your child, you should consult a doctor.
Sometimes flat feet are congenital, but this is the exception rather than the norm. Among all cases of flat feet in childhood, these are approximately 3%.
Indian researchers found that city residents who regularly wore shoes had flat feet three times more often than those who spent their childhood in the countryside and had the opportunity to walk barefoot. Consequently, the foot is better formed in natural and primitive conditions.
Other medical studies have found that the correct formation of the foot is influenced by the amount of load on it. The less physical activity a child has, the more likely he is to develop flat feet. This is especially true for our time, in the age of high technology and universal computerization. Children increasingly prefer the computer to playing outside and going for walks. As a result, flat feet in children are increasingly occurring together with poor posture.
The development of flat feet in children is greatly influenced by the shoes the child wears. Parents should know that shoes for a child should have a small heel (half a centimeter), soft arch support and a hard heel. In this case, the arch support compensates for the absence of stones and unevenness underfoot.
A child should not wear someone else's shoes - worn-out shoes will not distribute the load on the feet correctly.
For proper foot formation, a healthy diet is important. It is important to ensure proper phosphorus-calcium metabolism and the presence of vitamin D.
The formation of the arch of the foot requires constant training; barefoot walking is good for this. It is advisable that the child at least sometimes walk on sand, grass, pebbles and other uneven surfaces. Such surfaces can be recreated at home. Instead of the same pebbles, peas will do. In this case, the child may be wearing socks, but not shoes. These simple measures will help prevent flat feet in your child.
Flat feet are not only a cosmetic defect and a “free” deferment from the army. Problematic feet lead to diseases of the legs, knees, and spine, because the whole body is deprived of normal support.
The foot acquired a “concave” shape, which allows the body weight to be evenly distributed on the support, in the process of evolution. The bones in it are connected in a special way by ligaments and form an arch that provides shock absorption when walking and running. Normally, the foot of an adult comes into contact with the floor at three points: the calcaneal tubercle, the head of the 1st metatarsal bone and the 5th metatarsal bone, i.e. rests on the heel, the ball in front of the big toe and the line from the little toe to the heel. With flat feet, the foot becomes flatter, sometimes touching the ground with the entire surface of the sole. In smart words, the foot is deformed and its arch is lowered.
Formation of a child's foot.
In children under 2 years of age, physiological flat feet are observed, i.e. there is practically no arch of the foot. This is absolutely normal, because babies’ bone tissue is soft and elastic, it still contains few minerals that give strength, and the muscular system is not fully developed. When a child begins to stand on his feet and take his first steps (7-12 months), the “fat pad” on the sole acts as a shock absorber, which is why children’s feet are so plump.
By 2-3 years, the bones become stronger, the ligaments and muscles become stronger, and the foot begins to take on an “adult” shape. The child now stands well on his feet and can take long walks. The process of foot formation continues up to 5-6 years. Only after this age can we speak with certainty about the presence or absence of flat feet in a child.
However, throughout this period, regular monitoring of foot development by parents and an orthopedic doctor is necessary. Only about 3% of children are born with congenital flat feet due to an intrauterine malformation, and this problem is identified in them in the maternity hospital. Most people develop flat feet in subsequent years.
To notice the problem at the earliest stage, do not forget about visits to the clinic. An orthopedist should examine the baby at 1, 3 and 6 months to identify rickets. At 1 year of age, he checks the correct curves of the spine and joint mobility. At 3 years old, assesses posture, gait, condition of feet, measures the length of arms and legs. Then the check is done once a year. If signs of flat feet are detected, the child is registered with an orthopedist and is prescribed a course of treatment: physiotherapy, therapeutic massage, wearing special orthopedic shoes if necessary, treatment in a sanatorium.
Causes of acquired flat feet:
- congenital weakness of the muscles and ligaments of the foot;
- paralysis of leg muscles;
- forced systematic standing on your feet for many hours in a row.
How to independently determine flat feet in a child:
— Pay attention to the legs bent in a “cross” (valgus deformity of the ankle joint), i.e. the foot falls inward;
— Do not ignore children’s complaints about pain in the legs and back, reluctance to walk for a long time;
— An indirect sign is the sole and heel of the shoe, knocked down on the inside;
- The most obvious way: smear the child’s feet with paint and place him on a piece of paper, with his legs straight and closed. If the entire sole is imprinted, then there is cause for concern and a visit to an orthopedist. If the footprint is bean-shaped, it means that the arch of the foot is raised and performs its shock-absorbing functions.
How to protect your child from flat feet.
- Regularly massage your feet from infancy;
— Allow you to walk barefoot on uneven surfaces (sand, grass, pebbles, massage mat);
— Choose the right shoes (from natural materials, in size, with a small heel). You should not wear special orthopedic shoes without a doctor’s prescription;
- Temper the child, pour cool water on his feet before bed and after a walk;
— Do exercises daily to strengthen the muscles of the feet;
— Be examined annually by an orthopedist.
Flat feet in children is usually a reversible pathology, which is characterized by deformation of the bony arches of the foot. The causes of the disease are diverse, most of them are acquired. The disease can be detected by an orthopedist in a newborn or infant, but is more often detected at the age of 5 years and older.
Treatment of the pathology is usually conservative, but in advanced cases, surgery can be used to stop the destruction of the joints of the legs and spine, which was caused by flat feet. Prevention of the disease should be carried out for all children, but special attention should be paid to it if the child is at risk.
The human foot is a complex combination of bones, ligaments, muscles and their tendons.
Its task is to accept and support the weight of the entire human body, correctly distribute the load when moving, and maintain balance when walking on an uneven surface.
It is the foot that performs the task of shock absorber when walking. All these functions become possible thanks to the structure of this structure, namely the vaults:
In the physiological position, the arches are held in place by ligaments and muscles. Ligaments are passive fasteners that provide strong fixation. The muscles, stretching, change the angles and height of the arches, adapting to the conditions that arise when walking.
The longitudinal arch is a shock absorber that is important during standing and walking. When its angle and height change, longitudinal flatfoot develops. If the angle between the big toe and the first metatarsal bone increases, or between the first and second metatarsal bones becomes more than 10°, they say that the flatfoot is transverse.
As a result of flat feet, the support points of the foot change, which normally are the heel bone, 1st and 5th metatarsals. This alters gait mechanics, promoting the development of degenerative changes in the overlying joints.
The disease has non-fatal, but nevertheless dangerous consequences. This:
Depending on the causes of the disease, it can be congenital or acquired.
Such flat feet develop when the genes passed on from parents contain incorrect information about the strength of the ligaments, the extensibility of the foot muscles, or the relationships of the bones of the foot. The disease can be detected in infants (more often it is detected at 2-3 years old, when the baby is actively walking); it is often combined with other developmental defects.
How to identify it at such an early age? Only an orthopedist can do this. This is explained by the fact that until the age of 5, the instep of the foot is filled with adipose tissue, which is why a colored print on paper will not provide the necessary information.
This type of flatfoot is diagnosed in preschool children, adolescents and adults as a result of various factors:
Depending on the reasons, the following forms of acquired flatfoot are distinguished:
What is the basis
Sources: http://www.ploskostopiya.net/ploskostopie-u-detey/, http://deti.mail.ru/family/ploskostopie_u_detej/, http://doktordetok.ru/ortoped/ploskostopie-u-detey- simptomyi-lechenie.html
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And sometimes inexperienced parents examine the legs of their one-year-old baby. They begin to worry that he has flat feet. However, you need to take into account the structural features of children's feet, because in children the arches of the feet are filled with fatty tissue, so it may seem that they are completely flat.
It is the fat pad that acts as a shock absorber when the child just begins to walk. The arch of the foot begins to form only at 2-3 years, while the arch is fully formed only by 6 years. And only after this can we say unambiguously whether the child has flat feet or not.
Adults can easily notice signs of flat feet, such as problems in choosing shoes, a feeling of heaviness in the legs, tension in the calf muscles, and aching pain in the feet. It is difficult to identify a problem in a baby based on these symptoms; you will have to pay attention to other “indicators”:
After 3 years (there is no point before) you can use a method for diagnosing flat feet in children such as plantography. This is nothing more than a footprint on a piece of paper.
You will need a thick cream or water tinted with something (for example, iodine); lubricate the baby’s feet, place him on a clean sheet of paper placed on a flat surface. The legs should be brought together and the feet should be placed parallel to each other, the body should be fully straightened.
Then you should evaluate the area between the heel and metatarsus where the child's toes are located. The wider the part of the “isthmus” between the heel and metatarsus, the greater the degree of flatfoot. In fact, by eye you can only assess whether there is a noticeable “notch” (which means everything is fine) or not (perhaps it’s flat feet); at best, compare your baby's print with a picture in a medical reference book. Only an orthopedist can make accurate calculations of the relationship between the parts of a child’s foot and their compliance with standards.
Effective prevention of orthopedic diseases involves frequent visits to the doctor. Up to a year, the orthopedist will rule out congenital skeletal deformities; when the baby takes the first step, he will control the development of the joints, muscular system, and spine. After 3 years, an orthopedic doctor will begin to check posture and diagnose flat feet, so as not to miss the moment when such a disease begins to develop.
How to identify flat feet in a child
Sometimes inexperienced parents, examining the legs of their one-year-old baby, begin to worry that he has flat feet. However, you need to take into account the structural features of children's feet, because in children the arches of the feet are filled with fatty tissue, so it may seem that they are completely flat. It is the fat pad that acts as a shock absorber when the child just begins to walk. The arch of the foot begins to form only in.
Tell Konstantin! My sons are almost 8 months old. They are already sitting. And they stand on their legs a little if you support them. What kind of vitamin should I lubricate my legs to make them strong?
How to determine flat feet in a child?
In addition to a pediatric orthopedist, any parent can make a diagnosis of flat foot. To do this, you need a sheet of A-4 paper and vegetable oil. Place a drop of vegetable oil on your hand and rub it over your palm. Use your oiled palm to lubricate your baby's feet. After that, he just needs to stand with his feet on a piece of paper. 3-4 seconds. Next, while the child wipes his feet with a napkin, you look at a piece of paper and see a clear print of the foot. What can you see in this print?
How to determine flat feet by foot print?
I'll explain with an example. Figure 2 shows the foot of an 8-year-old child who runs barefoot in nature almost all summer. Figure 3 is his footprint. Draw lines along the inside of the print. From point A to
An example of a normal foot print from an 8-year-old child.
point B - the most convex points of the print on the inside, draw a perpendicular from the conditional point G to point C so that the segment VG intersects the foot print at the thinnest point. We divide the VG segment into 3 parts. We make a diagnosis of flat feet when the foot print, superimposed on the perpendicular, is more than 1/3 of the VG segment . All!
For example, here are a couple of pictures of children’s feet: - picture 4 – child 1 year old. The arch of the foot is filled with fatty tissue. When a child stands on a flat surface, he appears to have flat feet. Image 5 is a footprint of this child. Photo 6 – feet of a five-year-old child with flat feet. Photo 7 - a clear deformation of the foot in a teenager (15 years old). The photo shows valgus deformation of the feet - i.e. the feet rest on the inner surface, the legs are in an X-position. Parents usually pay attention to the problem when they see their child’s strangely worn shoes (as in this case).
Treatment and prevention of flat feet in children.
Flat feet are very easy to identify, but very difficult to treat. And to be honest, flat feet cannot be treated at all! With medical prescriptions, massage or physical exercise, we can only stop the development of the disease. If you, the parents, have flat feet, most likely your child will be prone to it too. Flat feet cannot be cured, but its development can be prevented! For proper prevention of flat feet in children, see the story:
At first glance, it may seem that the feet of an adult and a child are identical, the only difference being the size. However, upon closer examination, it turns out that this is not entirely true.
How to treat flat feet in children of varying degrees?
With effective and timely treatment, recovery is not long in coming. From birth, every person's feet are flat. As they grow, they undergo a number of metamorphoses, eventually acquiring the anatomical shape necessary for normal functioning. By about 3 years of age, a child’s foot takes on the shape of an adult foot, and the muscles and ligaments in this area become stronger. However, if for some reason the formation process is disrupted, the baby may develop flat feet.
Most parents, having heard from doctors that their child has flat feet, first of all blame low-quality and uncomfortable shoes. But in reality there is no connection between them. Meanwhile, wearing special orthopedic shoes provides significant assistance in deciding how to treat flat feet in children. The real cause of this disease is a sedentary lifestyle. In order for the muscles and connections of a child’s foot to become stronger, they need constant movement. That is why orthopedic doctors often recommend that parents ensure that the baby moves actively during the day. Walking barefoot on uneven surfaces - grass, sand or small pebbles - is especially useful for fragile children's feet. However, if after 6 years the situation does not improve, you should consult a doctor with a question about how to treat flat feet in children of preschool and school age.
Only after the child turns 12 years old can a doctor confirm the diagnosis of flat feet. It is at this age that, as a rule, the flexibility of the legs decreases, and the arches of the feet become more pronounced. According to statistics, only 1 child out of 10 still has flat feet by the age of 12. There are three degrees of pathology:
How to treat flat feet in children is a pressing question for many parents. Orthopedic doctors recognize physical therapy as the most effective in this regard. A special set of exercises allows you to strengthen the muscles of the sole and back of the foot, as well as the lower leg. For childhood flat feet, you should use the following easy-to-do exercises:
A child needs to do exercise therapy every day, devoting only 10-15 minutes to this activity. At the same time, make sure that your baby walks barefoot on the ground, pebbles or sand as often as possible. Irritation of the feet by small elements allows you to trigger the so-called defense reflex, which activates the muscles responsible for the formation and strengthening of the arch of the feet.
Another way to treat flat feet in children is to use orthopedic shoes. At the initial stages, it is advisable to correct the shape of the foot using factory-made products, and at stages 2 and 3 it is worth wearing custom-made shoes. An auxiliary method of treating flat feet in children is massage. This procedure, if performed correctly, helps improve the tone of the plantar surface of the foot, improves blood circulation in this area and restores the functioning of the articular-ligamentous apparatus.
To prevent the development of flat feet in children, you need to follow only a few simple preventive measures:
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