Pediatrics: Caring for Growing Feet

What You Need to Know

A parent’s guide to recognizing and addressing common pediatric foot concerns.

Pediatric Foot Conditions and Care

Foot pain, injuries, and developmental changes can cause problems for your child as they grow and participate in their favorite activities. The primary goal of children’s foot care is ensuring your daughter or son’s feet transition correctly and comfortably into adulthood.

Children’s feet are different to that of adults. When they are young, their bones are still very soft and are therefore more easily affected by abnormal pressure and forces. It is important to nurture our children’s feet, as most of the issues we see in adults have stemmed from issues as children. The younger a child is assessed and diagnosed, the easier it is to treat and manage the issue.

You should bring your child to our office any time your child experiences foot pain or when you or your child notices an abnormality in the appearance of their feet. Pain in children is never normal and can be a sign of an injury, infection, or biomechanical issue that needs addressing.

As early as infancy, you can see abnormalities in the feet, like club feet. Once your child starts walking, you may notice they prefer to walk on their toes or walk with their toes pointed inward or outward. These are all warning signs that something is wrong with the development of your child’s feet. In many cases, these problems persist into adulthood if left untreated.

If you have any questions about your child’s feet, please consult with our pediatric podiatry specialists. Our providers will examine your child and work with you to ensure their feet and ankles are healthy and functioning properly.

Common Conditions and Treatments

Our providers treat many pediatric foot concerns, including pediatric flatfoot, calcaneal apophysitis, ingrown toenails, plantar warts, sports injuries, ankle sprains, foot wounds, athlete’s foot, and toenail fungus. Most pediatric foot problems are temporary and improve with proper care.

Calcaneal apophysitis, also called Sever’s disease, is a painful inflammation of the growth plate in the back of the heel. It often affects children ages 8 to 14, especially those active in sports. Symptoms may include heel pain, limping, walking on toes to avoid pressure, fatigue, and difficulty running or jumping.

Treatment for heel pain depends on the cause and your child’s symptoms. Care may include reducing activity, heel cups or custom orthotic devices, NSAIDs to reduce pain and inflammation, physical therapy, or in severe cases, immobilization with a cast. X-rays are often used to evaluate heel pain, and MRI, ultrasound, CT scans, or lab tests may also be ordered when needed.

Flatfoot, intoeing, out-toeing, and toe walking may improve as a child grows, but they should still be monitored, especially if they cause pain, tripping, a gait change, or limited activity. When treatment is needed, regular monitoring, orthotic devices, physical therapy, and guidance on footwear and activity can help your child move more comfortably and return to daily activities safely.

Related Conditions

• Congenital Foot Deformities
• Flat Feet
• Growth Plate Injuries
• In Toeing Out Toeing
• Severs Disease
• Toe Walking