I have an 11 month old precious baby boy. He has started walking behind one of his toys (the kind you push). Both of his little feet, but especially the right one, turn almost completely outwards. Has anyone here ever experienced anything like this? I am worried sick that something is wrong, or could it just be the way he walks? Somebody help please! Freaking out here!

have not experienced this, sounds like he could out grow it, check with doctor.

Yes, my DD had this problem. She started walking at 11 months. Her right leg turned out completely, just like you described. It looked pitiful. We asked the pediatrician if she needed special shoes or a some kind of brace to straighten her foot out - he told us not to worry and that she would outgrow it. I was a wreck too, but wouldn't you know it - she outgrew it! I would get the little guy checked out just in case, but most likely he'll outgrow it like my DD did. By the way, she's 9 now.

I was born with my feet facing in inward.They put my legs and feet in casts and then when I started walking they had these corrective shoes with braces put on.It fixed the problem and I grew up to have beautiful legs and feet and noone woould have never known I was born that way.He just might need to have some braces put on for awhile at the worst.Hopefully its not that bad.

dollydeal - my sister had a similar problem. Before she started walking she wore special shoes that were connected with a hard metal piece. Poor thing couldn't move her legs! Anyway, she grew up to have perfect legs and turned out to be very athletic as well. Based on the experience with my sister, I thought my DD would have to wear something similar, but she didn't. Maybe, the difference was feet turning out vs. turning in. Or times have changed - my sister was a baby in the 70s. Not sure really.

They no longer make those booties attached to the metal bar. Apparently there wasn't enough evidence that they were actually corrective.

I thought my daughter would have benefitted from them. She still has a foot that points inward.

What is really weird is that I grew up with a girl in my school who had the same name as me who walked crippled because her feet were born inwards like mine was ,only her parents never had hers corrected and she had a very diificult time walking.Everytime I saw her it would just remind me how thankful I was that my parents had mine fixed.That girl could have been me if my parents had done nothing.

When my DD started to walk....around the same age as your son....we noticed she would swing her one leg outward when she was taking a step. My mom had told her chiropractor how she was walking and told my mom to have me bring her in to have a simple adjustment done because when babies are born thier little bodies get misaligned from going through childbirth. I was very hesitant and scared but when I got there the chiropractor had assured me it was one simple adjustment that wouldn't hurt her and she could do it with me holding her. She did something in her hip area and my dd only cried because she didn't know the lady. After that we put her down with her walker and she walked normal. Now, I am in no way saying this will definitely fix whatever is wrong with him and I'm not an advocate for chiropractors....just letting you know what our experience was with our dd.

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I'm not an advocate for chiropractors....just letting you know what our experience was with our dd.
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I am!!! Its amazing isn't it! I am glad that you had a good experience and your DD is walking without problems now!

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

Both my boys walked like that and outgrew it.. very normal is what I was told

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They didnt put my son into a corrective shoe til he was about 2-3, he's still in a pair, he has one foot that turns inward

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My husband and I both wore the shoes with the bar connecting them. Our kids all had similar pigeon-toed issues when they were young, and we were told that they'd decided the bar didn't really correct anything that nature wasn't going to correct itself. Sure enough, they all walk fine now.

I believe that for a condition known as club foot, those corrective brace shoes are occasionally still used.

I heard a long time ago that a child with toe in or out issues needs to learn how to skate. Kind of hard to skate if you toe in or out so the child will naturally pull their feet straight in order to be able to skate.

Before anyone questions the validity of this, I'm not endorsing this. Just posting as something to get a good laugh out of. Although, you have to admit it sounds logical.

I, personally, think your DS is just learning how to move his body. If he's just recently started walking behind this push toy, the position(s) he uses may be because of the toy. Once he is walking on his own he will probably have a better gait. By all means talk to you Pediatrician. He/She knows your child, and any orthopedic issues that need to be addressed.

And PLEASE, do not trust the health of your child to a Chiropractor! Most Chiros believe that everything is "out of alignment" and can be fixed by a "simple" adjustment or 2 (or 3 or 4 or 5 or etc.)
Chiropractors have their place in medicine and it should be for what they are--glorified massage therapists.

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I agree hes just learning how to walk I think he will be fine. I remember at least one of my kids doing that too. I remember my niece her feet turned in she soon outgrew this though but my dad used to say put her shoes on the wrong feet that will help my brother never did & she outgrew it anyways.

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Personally I would take them to the best Ped Ortho my area had. I just talked to a Mother in Tuckahoe Ortho who thought her daughter would grow out of it, but she has not. Now she has to have surgery<hip> where her hip has rotated, serial casting and AFO's.
I would go for nothing more then peace of mind. I know DH never did grow out of his pigeon toe. Rotation of any hip bone can cause permant damage.
I have seen a lot of problems that could have been corrected early on that wasn't hanging around ortho offices in the last 12 years.
Michael is a veteran of many ortho surgerys..

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You must have had a really bad experience but, don't knock all of us!

Trust me I'm not going through 8 years of school to be a glorified massage therapists!

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

I disagree with you. I deal w/ chiropractors on a daily basis who believe that they can cure an HNP just by a manipulation. I deal w/ chiropractors on a daily basis who believe that it will take 6-8 weeks of treatment on a 3-4 times a week basis to "cure" the patient. I deal, again on a daily basis, with arrogant conceited chiropractors who think they should be allowed to treat and treat and treat but not provide chart notes, objective medical findings, or a treatment plan. I have even dealt with a chiropractor who thought he could cure a person's ACL tear (confirmed by MRI) with adjustments. OH, and chiropractors think that the only way a person will heal is if they are off work for 2-3 weeks And let's not forget--Chiropractors can not even prescribe TYLENOL! They can not get a DEA number to prescribe any medications...And sometimes, the only thing that is going to bring swelling/inflammation down and soothe irritation is Rx meds. OTC will not do it.

I have pretty much dealt with EVERY chiropractor in my state--I know of 4 (count them 4) that are not complete and utter idiots. They will provide a few treatments over the course of 2-4 weeks, and if they don't see improvement will refer to a Doctor. Quite frankly--I LOVE the Chiropractor that DH and I use.(He's one of the good ones!). Even he (as a chiropractor) will tell you that the majority of chiropractors are not all they are cracked up to be.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

I assume you are speaking off Herniated Nucleus Pulposus! (see how smurt I am!!)I think that the patient will need an active rehabbing before this type of surgery, not to say that they won't need it just that I would hate to be cut open unnecessarily.

I do agree with you on some of the points that you have made!! I believe that you should try a more natural process to allow the body to heal itself, I am not one of those (nor is my uncle, he is my mentor) that believe we can cure all. Only G-D can do that. But obviously I do believe in the holistic approach to Health Care before ppl just start shoveling pills to "cure" themselves. I do think medicines can and do help but, I won't take or recommend getting unnecessary pain medicine. I also believe that the patient should choose what is best for themselves and never listen to just one opinion!! There are some quacks out there but thats the same for every profession.

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

If this were my child, I would make him an apt. with his Ped. and take use the advice here to calm my nerves until he could be seen. I hope this is something he will grow out of.

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I had the feet turning in problem when I was a baby. I had a cast on one leg for awhile then I had to wear saddle shoes for a few years and they had to be put on the wrong feet. The idea behind that was that saddle shoes are hard soled and by placing them on the wrong feet they would move my feet into the correct position. Same general idea as a brace just easier I should think.

My sister had the same thing. Got the same treatment. We're both fine, you could never tell by looking that we were once severely pigeon-toed.

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