About Baby Foot Growth
They are so tiny, and just plain cute. Your baby's feet are adorable, but you should do more than just kiss them. With a few easy-to-follow guidelines, you can keep your baby's feet healthy. Here's how to do it -- and how to spot problems before they turn into major childhood difficulties.
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Look How They Grow
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Baby feet -- like the rest of babies -- grow quickly. In a baby's first year, she may wear three or four different shoe sizes. By her second year, she may go through two or three sizes.
Although your baby's feet may look fat (and flat), it's not because she overeats. Babies have a thick layer of fat that protects their arches. By the time your baby is at the end of her toddler years, you'll be able to see more of her arch. (If not, she might truly be flat-footed, and you should talk to your pediatrician.)
Too Hot?
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Baby feet are chubby, and work harder than an adult's to balance and stand. Therefore, your baby's feet may often feel warmer than you'd expect. In fact, his feet may sweat twice as much as your own.
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Shoes
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The American Pediatric Association recommends babies go barefoot whenever possible. This helps them learn to walk -- and walk well -- more quickly. Of course, there will be times when you want to protect your baby's feet. In moderate cold, socks with skid bumps on them work well. In colder climates, or when your child is walking on something bumpy, socks worn with soft-soled shoes are best.
Detrimental
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In generations past, thick-soled shoes, often with high ankles, were thought best for babies. But now doctors realize these slow down natural development and may even cause harm to the feet. A newborn's foot has 26 bones made of soft cartilage; hard shoes have the potential to deform those feet.
Snug shoes are also detrimental to little feet, so check your baby's shoes frequently, never put her in shoes that are snug, and buy bigger shoes as needed.
Other Problems
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Extra toes are not all that uncommon (one in 2,000), but are usually removed before your baby begins to walk. Webbed toes (about as common as extra toes) often go unnoticed by parents, but again, a simple medical procedure can be performed if this interferes with your child's walking. Club feet are more common (one in every 1,000 live births), leaving at least one foot smaller than average, with toes pointing down and toward each other. This too, is treatable.
Toe walking, where babies walk on the balls of their feet, is common when children are first learning to walk. If it continues as the only mode of walking for more than a few months, consult a pediatrician. Toe walking is typically caused by a tight Achilles tendon or contracted muscle, and is treatable.
Pigeon-toes (or intoes), when one or both of your baby's feet point inward, is something some babies outgrow. If not, surgery might be required.
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References
- Photo Credit www.sxc.hu
