pigeon toed kids

[ijack]

does anyone have a LO that is pigeon toed? Q (my 13 month old) definitely has a foot that turns in. I have a referral to the ortho, but have held off on making it because it was more for her not putting her foot flat (which isn't an issue anymore). I don't think they do anything for this anymore, but I was also pigeon toed and never grew out of it like the doctors told my parents I would (well I started consciously working on it as an adult and now it's not as bad).
Thoughts? Everything I read online says they grow out of it, should I just wait and see or should I take her in?

[bunch]

H is. Her left foot turns in a lot more than her right. Her dr has seen her walk and never said anything about it. I guess I'll ask at the next appt, but I assumed it was normal.

[whattheheck]

I took my DD to an ortho when she was 7 to have this looked at. He said her left femur is turned in, which is what is causing the problem. You can see it in her leg and in the xray. Then he told me that they no longer do the wedges in the shoes anymore b/c of how it weakens some muscles and doesn't really work long term anymore. But that they don't do anything until they are 10.

Then he told me the current way to treat it if it is severe: break and re-set the thighbone. I almost lost it. Unfortunately she is pigeon toed in that leg to the extent that sometimes she has trouble even walking. She is now 9. I have a year before I have to decide whether or not to treat it. Crap.

[ijack]

This isn't the best pic, but it's all I can find. Her foot is turned in like this all time

[ijack]

As someone who has struggled with being pigeon toed my entire life I would fix it. It was pretty humiliating walking funny and I'm still self conscious about running in front of others.

[Deleted]

I'd take my kid in for that. I alway err on the side of dealing with things asap. I do not wait & see on anything...guess I am paranoid. Lol. DD3 had issues & was in PT & OT from 6mo-18mo.

[whattheheck]

I think by the time she is 10 she may be old enough to have some input into this. Not that I am handing medical decisions over to a 10 year old - NOT AT ALL. She does not seem bothered by it. And how bad it is depends on how recently she has had a growth spurt. The thought of breaking her leg and then having her in a full leg cast and wheelchair - torture for both of us and the other two kids in the house. And when to do it? During the school year? In the fall during soccer season? In the winter when sports are in a lull? The hot summer? And how to transport a kid in a full leg cast - she can't go in a regular car, how would I prop up the leg? It just seemed overwhelming that I decided to ignore it for a little while since she has to be at least ten to do anything at all. Just a crappy decisions to have to make.

[bunch]

Oh, that's a lot more than I was talking about.

[ijack]

I agree it's going to suck and she should have some say in it. I just wanted you to know that from my perspective I wish my parents would have done something.

[ijack]

I took some more pictures tonight. Sometimes it looks like her while foot, sometimes it's just her wonky toe. But we have an appt next week and I'll update everyone

[ijack]

I

[keyslover]

DD1 had in toeing. We had a referral to ortho and by the time we got the appt it wasn't as bad- it started to correct itself. They said most do. Could have been how she was in the womb, all squished. I am glad we checked it out though.

DD2 has the opposite issue. Her foot turns out. Back to ortho- they said it was because her shin muscle wasn't twisted and she should grow out of it. The more she walks the better it has gotten.

Sorry this is choppy. I am on my mobile.

[cep1976]

I was as a kid. My first pair of shoes had a metal bar that screwed into the bottom of them that attached the shoes to each other and kept my feet facing straight out. They don't do that any longer since it corrects itself in most cases.

[ijack]

DD needs new shoes - should I wait until I see the ortho to buy them? Is there a chance she wouldn't be able to wear normal shoes?

[caramia17]

Please update on what your doc says. DD is 14 mos and still walks on her toes and is pigeon toed, but the our doc wasn't too concerned and said we would reevaluate at 15 mos. I did only buy one pair of Stride Rite $$$$$ shoes in case we get sent to an orthopod about this. Of course, I am also pretty cheap.

[litebright]

I was terribly pigeon-toed as a child.

On my doc's advice, my parents put me in dance classes around kindy age.

I hated it -- I was not particularly coordinated and the only dance instructor in our little town was mean. I can only remember doing it for 1-2 years. If it wasn't for my feet, I don't think my parents would've made me do it. But all that work on foot positioning did help.

[whattheheck]

ijack - this is a serious question - not a snarky one (I know how sometimes tone can be miscontrued on an internet board): if the solution had been to break your leg, put you in a cast for two to three months, be wheelchair bound for part of the time, and then have to lay off sports while going to physical therapy: would you - as 10 year old (and all the social issues that implies) still have chosen to correct it? I'm genuinely interested b/c you are the first person to have ever said that they think doing it might be worth it so I'm looking for a little insight. Again - totally serious, no snark.

[mommabear17]

I was pigeon toed (and still am somewhat). I was tortured as a kid for it. I had inserts and did some physical therapy for awhile but it didn't really help. I don't think I would've wanted surgery, though and being in a cast and wheelchair at age 10. By then the torture was in full swing, but the wheelchair would have been worse.
I do wish that my parents would have put me in ballet as the doctor suggested. I think that would have helped. Plus I was tall at an early age and awkward.
Right now my 2 1/2 year's feet turn in as well, but it doesn't seem to be as bad as mine was. Her pedi says they don't do anything to treat it anymore unless it is severe. I pray that she grows out of it.

[mswax]

DS2 has 1 foot that still turns in when he walks/runs. I asked the doctor about it at his 2 year check-up. He examined his joints and concluded that there is not something structurally wrong that is making him do it, and suggested that I continue to monitor it, but feels strongly that he will outgrow it.

I've noticed a considerable improvement over the summer.

[ijack]

Sept 18, 2012 5:06:13 GMT -5 whattheheck said:

ijack - this is a serious question - not a snarky one (I know how sometimes tone can be miscontrued on an internet board): if the solution had been to break your leg, put you in a cast for two to three months, be wheelchair bound for part of the time, and then have to lay off sports while going to physical therapy: would you - as 10 year old (and all the social issues that implies) still have chosen to correct it? I'm genuinely interested b/c you are the first person to have ever said that they think doing it might be worth it so I'm looking for a little insight. Again - totally serious, no snark.

yes. as a 10 year old I probably wouldn't have made that decision, but MS and HS was kind of brutal for me because of it. There was one boy (who was actually my BFF's BF) who called me "pigeon" and would imitate the way I walked and then it kind of caught on. I stood funny (I prefer to stand with my legs crossed and my toes pointed in if that makes sense) and I look ridiculous when I run (I still do, I can't seem to fix that). It really did a number to my self esteem because I never felt confident when I walked into a room, I always assumed that everyone was laughing at me. Learning to walk differently in your 20s is a lot harder than a couple months of PT when you're 10. And I guarantee if you ask my mom she would say the same thing because she's often regretted not doing anything (following the dr's advice) because of how it impacted me.
Your daughter may have a very different outcome if you don't do it, but IMO I wish someone would have taken a chance to help me when I was younger even if it was painful and a total PITA.
good luck with your decision!

[whattheheck]

Wow. That is really something to think on. I appreciate your honesty. Luckily I have a whole year before she turns ten to really think about this and think it through. Thanks again.

[dragonfly08]

DD #1 had bowed legs/pigeon toes bad enough that it interfered with gross motor skills...walking was ok most of the time, but she had trouble running and fell down a lot.

The ped. recommended seeing an orthopedist so we did. He evaluated DD and said she'd grow out of it. He was right.

So it could be nothing. But I personally would at least see what the ortho. has to say.

[Deleted]

As a contrast, I was born with a club foot and as a result was also somewhat pigeon toed. It is such a non-issue for me as an adult. Kids did make fun of me a bit, but kids are assholes. If it wasn't my foot/leg, it would have been something else. No way I would have endured the broken leg and recovery, even if it meant that I had legs of matching lengths and straight feet today. I do limp a bit, but it hasn't impaired me in any way.

Back in the 80's, I had the wacky shoes with the bars. Then I was in casts for a while and had surgery around a year old to help correct the club foot. It did help, but it's still a noticeable defect.

Skating is another good activity - you MUST straighten your feet to skate.