Seeking a Pediatric Podiatrist

Hello Mom! I too have had ankles that slightly turned out to either side as a child. My young parents never addressed this. I had chronic leg pain throughout my childhood and teen years. (My left foot is worse.)My parents called it growing pains and fed me aspirin. THANK YOU for noticing and addressing this for your child now!!! As an adult I've consulted several professionals. My feet still turn out and my overall leg pain has concentrated itself in my joints, (ankles, knees, hips.)Also, I have flat feet. I don't know if that was always the case or if that was a result of walking on the insides of my feet. The best, long-term, and immediate remedy for me has been custom insoles. (You receive a box of foam, step in the foam leaving impressions, mail the box back, and receive custom insoles based on the impressions and a questionnaire. About $150 for the first pair. I bought mine from www.orthoticsdirect.com.
According to many online sources you may be able to nip this in the bud by seeking professional orthotic help now.
Best Wishes!
Mom

C.,
I would recommend either the pediatricians office (or infants and toddlers for an evaluation if the foot turn is getting in the way of walking, jumping, running, etc). It may be more orthopedic than needing a podiatrist, or physical therapy may help. Get their advice. Just because you CAN go somewhere without a referral, doesn't mean that the pediatrician isn't an important advocate for your child.

My daughter's foot turned in at the ankle, too, but improved as her arches strenthened with more walking and climbing. She is 21 mos and didn't start walking on her own until abt 18 mos and had PT. She preferred to walk on her knees (it was harder for her big sister to tip her over that way -grin)

Good luck, and enjoy your son.

S.

I would recommend consulting your pediatrician's office. They can probably recommend you to a specialist if they feel its something that needs to be addressed.

My son has something similar, and our pediatrician referred us to an orthopedist. The orthopedist took x-rays and did some physical tests and determined that my son's issue was a problem with his soft tissue, so she showed us some stretches that we do with him a couple of times per day to try and "re-train" those soft tissues. We go back at the end of February, and if there is no notable improvement, my son will start physical therapy.

I'm not sure where you are located, but we went to the Maryland Pediatric Orthopaedic Center in Mt. Airy, MD. Their website is http://www.mdpedortho.com. We saw Dr. DePass. Best of luck to you and your little guy!