Any pigeon-toed experience?

[emily_gracesmama]

Anyone had any experience with what I guess is being pigeon-toed? This is what my mom termed it. My 17 mth old, her feet really seem to turn inward, very noticeably so when she is walking barefoot or in socks. She walks well-enough, but damn do those feet turn inward! We also thought she seems bow-legged, but the doctor said that would correct itself, we haven't mentioned the turned in feet yet since we only really just seemed to notice that. We had mentioned the bow-leggedness which they weren't worried about. I'm thinking about taking her to a specialist, but what kind of specialist would be best?

[tarabenet]

They used to aggressively correct turning-in -- corrective shoes, bracer bars, all kinds of torture devices. Then they figured out that most turning in is natural and will correct itself (along with bowed legs) as the child grows. Your mom may be of the generation when all of that kind of thing was attacked as a problem. (I was in the generation of corrective shoes for everyone. It sucked.) I'd bring it up again with my pediatrician if it seemed to affect my child's ability to walk/run, but I wouldn't worry too much.

[cheri]

It's normal at this age.

Kids tend to in-toe early on (up to about age 3ish) due to the way their legs grow--it goes along with the bowleggedness.

I used to do a clinic with a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who used to get so frustrated with primary care docs who would send kids in to be seen for this. He used to do lectures for other doctors about it, trying to keep them from worrying parents.

Don't worry about it.

In the extreme cases where there really is a problem, they just wait and see how the kid grows for a few years before doing anything, anyway.

The PP is absolutely correct.

[LarsMal]

DD does this, too. She was breech and had to have her hips checked at 7 months for clicking, so I was worried about her feet being turned in, too. The ped did a really quick check- she basically just took DD's feet in her hands and rotated them outward. She said as long as they *can* turn out there's nothing to worry about. (DD's left foot was so bad she would trip over it at times.)

DD just turned 2. Her feet still turn in a little, but I've noticed an improvement over the past 6 months. I mentioned it to the ped at our recenty 2 year visit, and she said it can take up to 7 or 8 years to work itself out.

Just keep an eye on it and do that quick check to make sure her feet can rotate out at the ankle (or ask your ped to). Our ped said as long as we were noticing some improvement she wouldn't send us to a specialist.

HTH!

[HIU8]

DS was pigeon toed in his right foot only. I was concerned but it corrected itself by age 3ish. The ped told me that if it was still prominent by age 4 then he would recommend that DS see a pediatric orthopedist.

[noodle]

I'll be the voice of dissent.
I'd take her to see a pediatric orthodpedist. If nothing else, it could put your mind at ease.
She may, indeed, grow out of it, but she may not. My DD's feet turned in at mid-foot, called metatarsus adductus. Our pediatrician repeatedly reassured me that they would correct themselves, but when she was 20 months, she tripped and chipped a tooth. I took her to a ped ortho, who put her in casts that day, saying that if we'd waited much longer, she would have needed surgery. Baby feet are very flexible, but kid feet become progressively less so.
Good luck to you!

[brittone2]

It is treated far less often now. Usually it is outgrown, but it is worth considering an evaluation with early intervention or a pedi orthopedist depending on how confident you are in your doc and how concerned you are (just to see where exactly the issue is stemming from). It is one of those things via internet I wouldn't feel 100% comfortable saying don't worry she'll outgrow it, since I can't see her IRL, kwim?

It becomes more of a concern if it starts to impact gross motor milestones, etc.

[rlu]

I'll be the voice of dissent.
I'd take her to see a pediatric orthodpedist. If nothing else, it could put your mind at ease.
She may, indeed, grow out of it, but she may not. My DD's feet turned in at mid-foot, called metatarsus adductus. Our pediatrician repeatedly reassured me that they would correct themselves, but when she was 20 months, she tripped and chipped a tooth. I took her to a ped ortho, who put her in casts that day, saying that if we'd waited much longer, she would have needed surgery. Baby feet are very flexible, but kid feet become progressively less so.
Good luck to you!

DS has the same in both feet, more pronounced in the left. We started with a podiatrist around age 2 as DH's family has a history of foot problems. DS wore inserts for over a year without it getting much better. We did end up with a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who determined not only his feet, but his legs and hips turn in. She told us he would learn to accommodate the turn in or we might consider surgery when he is older - to check back with her when he is 7 or so. She noted we could have cast when DS was an infant, but it still might not have "solved" the issue.

I don't think DS trips any more than other kids do when he runs, but I'm concerned how he will learn to skate or ski, but I'm a worrier, and he'll probably just adjust without even realizing he is "adjusting".

[mom_hanna]

My niece was severely pigeon toed and bow legged when she was born - enough that as a toddler, complete strangers would comment on it all the time. She outgrew it. She is still slightly bowlegged and pigeon toed, but it doesn't affect anything she does and no one else notices. I would wait it out, just because surgery is pretty drastic and if it is not affecting her motor skills, I would leave it alone for now.

[almostmom]

I think it depends on how much you trust your ped! DS's feet were recognized as turning in in a "bad" way almost immediately after he was born. This was noticed by my father, a orthopedic surgeon specializing in feet, and our ped. He had casts for about 6 weeks when he was 1-3 months old. Now, he is a tiny bit pigeon toed, but the casts really helped with what could have been a long term problem. He also had special shoes, and the bar until he was 2 (it seems SO long ago!). DD also has feet that turn in a bit, but both my dad and the ped said hers do it in a way that will correct itself on its own. She is now 3 and though she might trip a bit more than her friends, she is a great runner and it seems to be totally fine.

So for me, I felt like I had a ped who really saw issues when they were there, and gave good advice (backed by my knowledgable dad). But it sounds like others have had peds who missed important signs.