Oh no! My toddler has flat feet

The excitement that your little one has just got up on their feet and are starting to explore the world. As a parent, so much of your energy has been focused on that milestone. Now you are here, but the lingering feeling comes in wondering if there is something wrong with how they are walking.

Rest assured, the toddler walk always looks a little bit funny. The most common thing that looks abnormal is the curvature of their legs and walking with flat feet. An earlier post dives into the curve of a toddler's legs, this post today is going to explore arch development during the early years. So you know what is normal and when to get concerned.

Why toddler feet look flat

When babies are born, they have an additional fat pad underneath the arch of their foot. This helps protect the bones and joints of their foot as they become more active. The arch begins to develop as they start to put weight through their legs and move around and it takes time. Often when you see a baby or a toddler with a flat foot, that is usually that you are looking at the fat pad, and the arch is forming underneath the protective layer of fat.

This is why during the early years, the look of the foot is not as important as functionality. Are they able to move the way they need to in order to balance, walk, run and jump?

A simple tip-toe check at home

The best thing to watch out for is what happens to the foot as they come up on their toes. This moves the fat pad around and shows you what the tiny muscles in their foot are doing. A toddler without good control in their foot will struggle to come up on their toes or their midfoot collaspes as they try. A toddler who is beginning to form an arch will come up neatly on their forefoot and you can see the beginnings of an arch starting to form.

When to seek an assessment

One other thing to keep in mind is that flat feet or pes planus; is not always a problem. Many adults walk around with flat feet without any issues. It becomes a problem is it is associated with pain, stiffness through the ankle, delayed gross motor milestones or decreased endurance and mobility. This can indicate that they may be something else going on or the structure of your child's foot is impacting their ability to function across the day. This is when it is worthwhile having an assessment from a physiotherapist or podiatrist to determine whether intervention in the form of orthotics, tailored footwear, or an individualised exercise program is required. This can help your child build the strength required and support the bones in the right position to support arch development.