How to detect baby’s flat feet early? Come and take a little test!

Generally speaking, infants and young children have plump feet and most of them have flat feet. This is normal, so parents don't need to worry. However, a baby's arch can be seen clearly when he is 3 years old. If the sole of the foot is still flat at that time, it may be flat feet.

Why do we always feel that our baby has flat feet?

This is because the baby's feet are covered with thick fat. Because the arch of the baby's foot has not yet formed, the bones and ligaments are still very elastic, and abundant fat accumulates on the soles of the baby's feet. Therefore, the soles of the baby's feet look flat, and a flat-foot-like condition may occur when standing. The arch of the foot is usually formed when the baby is 4-6 years old, so it is normal for the baby to have flat feet in the early stage.

How to identify flat feet in babies?

The doctor will use an imaging device to check the bones on the soles of your baby's feet, or give your baby a small test. The test is very simple, and parents can also test their babies at home:

Let your baby step barefoot on white powder and onto a dark cardboard to leave footprints. Next, draw a straight line along the inside of the footprint and measure the distance from the depression in the footprint to the straight line. This distance of a normal baby's foot is about 1 times larger than the width of the narrowest part of the footprint. If the distance between the two is about the same, then the baby has mild flat feet. If this distance is only about half the width of the narrowest part of the footprint, it is moderate flat feet. If there is no depression, it means severe flat feet.

Will going barefoot cause flat feet?

Genetic factors are an important factor in the baby's flat feet. But the baby's early bare feet will not necessarily cause flat feet.

In fact, babies do not need to wear shoes before they can walk steadily. However, after they can walk steadily, you need to choose a pair of shoes that fit well and have arch support insoles to ensure that the baby's feet have enough support and protection when walking. Otherwise, it will not be conducive to the protection of the baby's feet and the formation of the arch.

How can we promote the development of the arch of the foot?

We should pay attention to the development of the baby's arch from an early age. In fact, these small methods are not difficult to do.

1. Appropriate exercise

Exercise helps your baby's feet develop healthily. The correct crawling method for babies - crawling on all fours and crawling on hands and knees, active tiptoeing exercises after the baby has walked steadily, climbing wooden ladders (thinner wooden poles), skipping rope and other exercises can all promote the formation of the baby's arch of the foot.

2. Discover and correct your baby’s bad sitting posture as early as possible

Many babies tend to sit in the W position when they first start crawling. The W sitting position is allowed in the early stages, but it is not recommended once the baby starts to walk. When babies use the W sitting position for a long time, it can easily cause the femur to rotate internally, and in turn cause the knee joint to rotate internally, which can eventually lead to inward turning of the feet and reversed arches of the feet. It is easy for babies to walk with their feet turned inward. The W-sitting posture will also cause the toes to tilt inward, that is, the two little feet will tilt inward, and it will easily lead to flat feet and tendon tension, making the baby walk unsteadily and fall easily.