The Human foot is a complex structure of 26 bones, which have usually hardened by about age 18. In a nweborn the foot is mainly made up of relatively soft cartilage which converts to bone as the child grows and matures. During this period of growth and development the foot is at risk of injury and deformity. For this reason children's footwear has special importance.
Babygrows and sleep suits should not cram little toes. Pram shoes are best avoided as it is very difficult to size appropriately, bootees which do not constrict the toes and ankles are much more suitable. Ideally a child does not require shoes until they are walking competently out of doors. In order for the foot to develop normally and naturally the child should be barefoot for as long as possible within the realms of safety.
On average a child's foot grows two sizes a year in the first four years of life, and one size a year after this, until growth is complete. Sometimes a childs foot seems not to grow for a considerable period then suddenly grows several sizes. It is a good idea to have a trained shoe fitter measure your childs feet every 8 weeks, more frequently if you are aware that the child is actively growing taller.
Children enjoy being barefoot, but if their feet are noticeably cold, or they complain of this, some form of protection may be neccessary. Socks alone may be dangerous if there is a danger of the child slipping. Slippers are only a short term solution as they are not held properly on the foot. Long term use may result in future deformities.
Babygrows and sleep suits should not cram little toes. Pram shoes are best avoided as it is very difficult to size appropriately, bootees which do not constrict the toes and ankles are much more suitable. Ideally a child does not require shoes until they are walking competently out of doors. In order for the foot to develop normally and naturally the child should be barefoot for as long as possible within the realms of safety.
On average a child's foot grows two sizes a year in the first four years of life, and one size a year after this, until growth is complete. Sometimes a childs foot seems not to grow for a considerable period then suddenly grows several sizes. It is a good idea to have a trained shoe fitter measure your childs feet every 8 weeks, more frequently if you are aware that the child is actively growing taller.
Children enjoy being barefoot, but if their feet are noticeably cold, or they complain of this, some form of protection may be neccessary. Socks alone may be dangerous if there is a danger of the child slipping. Slippers are only a short term solution as they are not held properly on the foot. Long term use may result in future deformities.
The age at which a child first walks unaided is variable. For girls the average age is 12 months and for boys 15 months, but some perfectly normal children do not walk unaided until 24 months. Nearly all babies appear to have flat feet when first they walk unaided. This is partly because of posture adn partly due to the deposits of fat which can make the foot look flat. The first time walking baby has to balance a relatively large head on a short body and in order to do so baby walks with knees bent, legs wide apart and feet turned outwards. The nervous gait control is still developing and so the child appears to be flat footed.
Baby walkers encourage loading of the joints before nature intended, often resulting in unusual walking patterns. Research has demonstrated that using baby walkers may cause baby to walk later than he or she normally would.
Posts
