pigeon toed

do peds take being pigeon toed as being something seriuos?  i know when i was little i had to wear a brace for it.  i don't think they use those anymore (i know it didn't work for me, i had to teach myself how to walk straight later on).  i also try to keep her from sitting in the "W" position (which seems to be what's most natural for her to sit in of course).

my 3 yr old is pigeon toed like i was and when she walks her knees come together (most of the time rubbing together).  she has a well checkup scheduled for the 10th of march so i'll be bringing it up then...  i was just wondering about it.

[lhughes]

Our ped made a comment about K's pidgen-toedness last year (at 3) but noted it for a "watch".  I don't think she has as bad a time as your dd...  that may make a difference.

She's still pidgen-toed (as I was and still am to an extent), but it doesn't seem to slow her down any.

[kennedydp5]

i read just a little recently saying that if it doesn't start to correct itself by age 3 then they would consider doing something about it...  but its never been discused w/ her and i haven't really paid too much attention to it (don't know b/c i was the same way).  she plays fine and runs and jumps just like every other kid...  but like i mentioned how she rubs her knees, and she also trips over her feet sort of frequently.  

guess i'll be waiting for her appt to discuss this, too... lol!!!

[jacob75]

what is pigeon toe ?

[kennedydp5]

jacob75-  its a term for saying that your feet turn in when you walk.  :)

[lhughes]

Kathryn trips a lot too.  I figured she just inherited my clumsiness, but my toes still to this day point slightly inward even after unpteen years of ballet classes and hearing my dance teacher holler about my toes turning in.  Oh well.  My mom is "knock-kneed" and has knee issues at 70 which ain't too bad -- hey she made it to 70!

If you think it's severe enough to wonder about, it wouldn't hurt to inquire about seeing a specialist as a JIC.  A question that goes unanswered makes you worry forever.  Especially if it's your child.  

[kennedydp5]

ihughes- we went to the mall last night and riley and michaela kept switching off being the one that got to walk rather than sit in a stroller (we need another double stroller, lol!).  while michaela was walking next to dh i was behind them and i was watching her knees while she was walking...  her knees come together alot and she kinda bounces, too.  my mil is the one who pointed this out to me...  i swear, i don't have any worries until that woman opens her mouth, lol!!!!  

[tiredbuthappy]

i would mention it to the ped, but not panic.
I am currently watching a little boy in my class with some concern. He is pigeon toed, but i think it's getting worse. He also walks on his toes. Before I noticed it getting worse, I had the special ed teacher and the OT take a look. They said it may just be a quirk he outgrow. He is 4 1/2. Anyways, 2 weeks ago i noticed him tripping more frequently. Not only does it seem like he is more pigeon toed, but i noticed that when he steps, his feet are crossing the midline. Basically, if you draw a line straight in front of him. his feet step over and cross that line. Consequently, his hips seem to be swaying as he walks now. Since his condition is worsening, i will speak to the school nurse this week and possibly speak to his mother. i noticed just before winter break which is why i haven't taken care of this sooner. But, like I said, when they first looked at him, they weren't too concerned because he had no other motor issues (climbs, runs, jumps, etc... well). And he's a bit older than your little one.

[kennedydp5]

tired- w/ what i read, it said that it should (probably not all cases i'm sure) correct itself by age 3?  but i didn't notice it until now and she's 3 1/2.  she runs and jumps, ect...   she's usually trips while just walking though, not running.  i used to think her shoes were just too big!

when your feet turn, is it a result from your knees or hips?

[tiredbuthappy]

i don't know why feet turn in... i think the child in my class may have more issues than your little one. like i said, in addition to pigeon toed, he's toe walking, and crossing the midline when he steps. Sounds like your daughter is much simpler, and as you have seen from the posts above, it's not uncommon. Mention it to your pediatrician and see what he says. but don't panic.

do you have any old video footage of her that you can look at? Do you think it's been there all along and you just didn't notice it, or that it's something new? I would think there would only be concern if it's getting worse or if it's new. I suspect PT certainly wouldn't hurt, but I'm not sure that insurance would agree it's necessary.

[kennedydp5]

i don't believe its new...  just something i never really thought about i guess.  i'll let ya'll know what her ped says next month.  we have tons of videos we could look at...  but our video camera has a tape stuck in it and i sure as heck don't know how to fix it, lol!  and i also don't know how to get our little tapes converted to a dvd (if you know please tell me!).