Is it Normal for a Toddler to Have Flat Feet?

Every parent that has a painful flat foot is afraid that their child might inherit their foot type. It is normal for a child's foot to appear flat up to about the age of 2 due to a thick layer of baby fat that fills the arch area. As long as the child is otherwise healthy, and the foot is flexible and free of pain, then no treatment is necessary even if you think it may look "too flat" to be normal. Many times they actually inherited your spouses or grandparent's feet and got lucky!!

A child's arch becomes much more obvious around the age of 3 when that baby fat pad disappears. At this age it is still normal to see a "low" arch when standing, but their foot should have a good arch when sitting or lying down.

When a child has a severe flat foot, you will usually notice not only a low arch but an inward bowing of the inside of their ankle and their Achilles tendon. They look like they have a nice arch when non-weight bearing but it completely flattens out when standing. This is usually a flexible developmental flat foot and can lead to postural complaints, "growing pains" and poor muscle development.

In rare cases, some children are actually born with a malformation of the ankle bone that causes a rigid flat foot with the appearance of a "rocker-bottom" foot. These are usually evident within the first few months of life with a rigid foot.

If you are worried that your child has an inherited flat foot or is complaining  of foot and leg pain; time to visit the podiatrists at FAANT for an opinion. Contrary to popular belief, foot and leg pain in children is never normal; and most kids will not grow out of flat feet! There are simple changes in shoe gear and inserts as well as physcial therapy that may help your child run, jump and play with their friends without pain!