Pediatric Foot Care Specialist

What is pediatric foot care?

Pediatric foot care focuses on the healthy development of your children's feet. Foot problems are a common issue in children, partly because kids tend to be very active. However, it's easy for signs of underlying foot conditions to go unnoticed because children are also highly resilient.

All the bones in your child's feet have growth plates, many of which remain open to allow the foot to continue growing through the teenage years. Before the growth plate closes, which happens when the foot is fully developed, foot problems can be difficult to treat.

They require an expert approach to prevent growth plate damage and abnormal foot development. Dr. Tjoe has many years of experience treating children's feet and helping resolve any abnormalities before they cause long-term problems.

What conditions could require pediatric foot care?

Common conditions that could require pediatric foot care include:

• Heel pain (calcaneal apophysitis)
• Bunions (hallux valgus)
• Flatfeet (pes planovalgus)
• Club foot (congenital talipes equinovarus)
• Intoeing and out toeing

In addition to these structural and developmental conditions, your child might get problems like plantar warts (verrucas) or athlete's foot that also require pediatric foot care.

What treatments are necessary for pediatric foot care?

Treatment options in pediatric foot care vary depending on the condition affecting your child. For structural abnormalities, options include:

• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Activity modification
• Custom orthotics

If conservative treatments like these don't relieve your child's symptoms or the abnormalities are too severe to improve without more invasive treatments, surgery might be necessary.  Young patients typically respond well to foot and ankle surgery, often healing faster and regaining more mobility than adults.

Infections like athlete's foot are likely to require antifungal medication. Dr. Tjoe also uses Swift® Microwave Therapy to treat plantar warts safely and effectively.

How should I care for my child's feet?

Taking good care of your child's feet from birth is vital to encourage correct development as they grow. Early intervention can often address abnormalities like clubfoot and avoid the need for surgery, so look for anything that doesn't seem right and get it checked out from birth onward.

Other ways you can promote healthy feet include:

• Avoiding tight covers or clothes
• Letting toddlers go shoeless indoors
• Looking out for persistent toe-walking
• Cutting toenails straight across
• Keeping your child's feet clean and dry
• Buying well-fitting shoes
• Keeping your child’s shoes on in hazardous environments
• Cleaning and covering cuts and other injuries

You can also teach your children how to care for their feet from an early age, so they develop good habits before entering adulthood.

If you're looking for expert pediatric foot care, call Tjoe Podiatry today or book an appointment online.