When it comes to the health of your child, you have a lot to keep track of. It is important to monitor things like their eating habits, eyesight, growth, and overall health. However, you may forget about their feet and it is essential to pay attention to children’s foot issues.
The truth is that a child’s feet are sometimes neglected when it comes to regular care. It is best to pay attention to your child’s feet from the time they are born all the way through their growth cycles to help head off potential problems in the future.
These are some helpful tips that you can use to ensure that your child’s feet develop healthily:
Inspect Your Newborn’s Feet – Try to look for anything unusual and know that something you notice at birth will not necessarily improve on their own. Early treatment is critical for specific abnormalities like club foot, which is a congenital condition.
Lightly Covering Your Baby’s Feet – A tight cover can be too restricting, but a light covering will allow them to kick and move freely, which helps to strengthen muscles – which gets them ready for walking. Activity gyms are very helpful for strengthening tiny feet.
Going Shoeless – When you have a toddler, it is a good idea to have them go without shoes indoors to help with development while learning to walk. Shoeless feet also allows for the toes to practice the grasping action.
Monitor Walking – If you happen to notice that your little one seems to walk on their toes often, it could be an issue that is linked to another condition with the nervous system or the muscles.
Toenail Care – Cutting the toenails straight across helps to prevent ingrown toenails, which can be very painful. Signs of this condition include redness, swelling, and pain.
Clean, Dry Feet – It is vital to keep the feet as dry and as clean as possible to prevent bacterial and fungal infections from brewing.
Well-Fitting Shoes – Your child should be with you whenever you buy shoes. Additionally, a child’s foot should be measured each time to ensure a proper fit. Any shoes that are too tight can lead to corns, blistering, and calluses.
Foot Injury Prevention – Walking barefoot outside can be dangerous depending on the surface area. It is crucial to wear shoed when outside playing on the pavement and other hazardous surfaces to prevent potential injuries.
Cover Those Cuts – You may have heard that it is best to let air get to specific cuts, but it is best to wash any scratch, scrape or cut on the foot and then keep it covered with a bandage until fully healed.
Lead By Example – As your child is growing, he or she will see how you care for your own feet and follow along with your lead. Demonstrate proper toenail cutting techniques, how to properly clean and dry your feet, and wear the right shoes.
If you need help with treating children’s foot issues, Mill Creek Foot & Ankle Clinic can help. Call Dr. Hall at (425) 482-6663.
