DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE FLAT FOOTS?
The majority of babies have flat feet when they are born, and as they grow, foot arches begin to form. In other words, it is a normal orthopedic finding for a 2-year-old child to have flat feet.
However, in some children, the arch of the foot is not fully formed. Families state that their children's ankles are turned inwards and their soles are low. The fact that these complaints continue until the age of 3-4 makes us think that flat feet may be permanent. At this stage, the cause of flat feet should be determined through examination by a Pediatric Orthopedic specialist and appropriate treatment should be arranged.
Flat feet can be either Flexible (flexible type)or Rigid(solid type)
strong>It can be seen in two ways;
Typically, flexible flat feet do not cause any complaints. Families often consult a doctor because they are concerned about the appearance of their feet, and the fact that one of the family members has flat feet often increases these concerns.
However, scientific studies have shown that 80% of those with flexible flat feet in childhood do not experience complaints about flat feet in adulthood. However, in some genetic diseases such as Marfan syndrome or Down syndrome, flat feet occur due to excessive elasticity in the ligaments, and we may often encounter foot problems in these patients.
Treatment in children should only be done if pain occurs or deformation of the shoes develops very quickly. It should also be known that the insoles used in the treatment do not eliminate flat feet in any way, they only relieve the symptoms by supporting the arch of the foot.
Although rare, flat feet can be corrected with surgery in children whose pain does not improve with special insoles.
Rigid flatfoot is a more serious problem that requires treatment. It is usually caused by a congenital problem in the foot bones, such as Vertical Talus and Tarsal Coalition diseases. Rigid type flat feet are treated with serial casting in some cases and with surgery in some cases.
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