Baby Feet Deformities, How to recognise if my baby needs a physiotherapy treatment to realine his feet?
Depending on the position of your baby during your pregnancy, certain deformities can appear on his feet and delay his walking and his balance. It is then important to
detect these issues at an early stage and treat them as soon as possible. As your child grows older, it will be more difficult to correct these deformities which will affect the child’s quality of life.
So an early diagnostic through assessment is primordial.
How do I know if my baby has feet deformities?
We have listed below the 3 most common baby feet deformities and feet conditions for you to be able to recognise these issues
Baby In-toeing foot
My baby has is foot turning inward!
It occurs in approximately one out of 1,000 and may increase the risk of developing hip dysplasia.
How to recognise it:
- Heel deviates laterally
- Sole deviates medially (Kidney shaped)
- Both feet are inverted (facing each other)
- One foot is turning inward most of the time when the other on stay straight
- Foot easily dorsiflexed
If your baby presents these signs, we would advise you to have an assessment with our paediatric physiotherapist or with your paediatrician to detect this condition at an early stage and start the realignment of your baby foot or feet.
Baby Out toeing foot
My baby has is foot turning Outward!
- Most common neonatal baby foot deformity
- More common in females
- Easy to diagnose shortly after birth
How to recognise it:
- Foot has up and out appearance
- Toes can touch anterior tibia
- Limited plantar flexion (less than 90 degrees)
- Soles have banana shape
- Feet are facing away from each other
Clubfoot
It occurs in one to two per 1,000 births
How to recognise it:
- Heel points downward while the front half of the foot turns inward
- Soles face each other
- Inability to dorsiflex
- Very tight heel cord
- Leg internal rotation
If you are worried or suspect your child might suffer from a foot deformity, you can contact one of our paediatric physiotherapists to assess your baby’s feet and start a rehabilitation program.
If you are still not sure if your baby needs treatment, Baby Physio now offers a “ Complete Baby Check-Up” where one of our specially trained chartered physiotherapists will check your baby from head to toe.
Call us now on 02071250262 or email us here for more information