Children's Foot Care

An unaddressed acute injury or congenital condition can affect your child’s walking ability for the rest of their life if it impacts their growth and development. At Kaplansky Foot and Ankle Centers in Columbus and Reynoldsburg, Ohio, skilled podiatrists David Kaplansky, DPM, Anthony Cozzolino, DPM, and the team diagnose and treat common issues like sports injuries and flat feet in children.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is children’s foot care?

Children’s foot care refers to podiatric diagnostics and treatment geared toward infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents. Children are constantly growing, so their foot care often works differently than foot care for adults. The skilled podiatrists at Kaplansky Foot and Ankle Centers frequently see children for foot and ankle conditions that have been affecting them from birth or for conditions and injuries that develop suddenly. They can also help you recognize the signs and symptoms of a podiatric complication affecting your infant or child, so you can get treatment early and reach the best outcome.

Which conditions require children’s foot care?

There is a wide range of podiatric conditions and injuries that commonly affect babies, children, and adolescents, many of which don’t affect adults at all or at the same rate. The podiatrists at Kaplansky Foot and Ankle Centers can correct or treat:

Flat feet

Flat feet are the result of having either a shallow foot arch or no arch at all. While many babies and children eventually develop an arch, the lack of an arch can result in poor balance, foot pain, and other issues.

Sports injuries

It’s healthy for children to be active, but ankle and foot injuries like sprains and fractures are somewhat common in sports. The podiatry team at Kaplansky Foot and Ankle Centers treats a wide range of injuries to make sure your child continues growing properly with no lasting consequences.

In-toeing

In-toeing means your child’s feet point inward when they walk. Similarly, out-toeing is when their feet point outward. The podiatrists at Kaplansky Foot and Ankle Centers can work with your child to correct this issue if it doesn’t correct itself naturally over time.

Bowlegs

Your child might have bow legs if they have a gap between their knees and ankles when they stand normally. While the condition can correct itself as your child develops, it can indicate an underlying condition like rickets or Blount disease.

What are some signs that my child needs children’s foot care?

While some conditions and injuries affecting kids’ feet or ankles are easily identifiable because of pain or the way they stand or walk, others aren’t so simple to identify. For this reason, the podiatrists at Kaplansky Foot and Ankle Centers recommend that you become familiar with signs that indicate potential podiatric complications in children.

You should book an appointment at Kaplansky Foot and Ankle Centers if your child:

Mentions or indicates pain or discomfort in their feet or legs
Is reluctant to participate in physical activity
Has feet that look abnormal
Stands abnormally
Trips or falls often
Has marked swelling in their feet or ankles

If you’re uncertain whether or not your child’s condition stems from an issue with their feet or ankles, the team at Kaplansky Foot and Ankle Centers can perform an evaluation with imaging tests for more information.