Houston Pediatric Foot Specialist

When it comes to your child’s feet, studies show that children between 2 to 6 years need a change of shoe size every few months. Rapid child growth means continuous monitoring and check-up by Houston pediatric foot specialist. Deformities and foot disorders in children might occur without any warning signs, it is why you need frequent visits to the podiatrist for close monitoring to maintain foot health. Our pediatric foot doctor is experienced in treating different ankle and foot conditions in teenagers and children who are still physically developing. The expert care provided ensures that your child’s feet are relaxed and comfortable throughout treatment for feet conditions. Pediatric podiatry is different because it takes a specialist who understands foot bone development to treat a child’s foot and ankle injuries to treat the problems. The best pediatric podiatrist near me understands issues that affect children, adolescents, and infants. Some of these issues include gait issues, athlete’s foot, flat foot, plantar warts, heel pain, growth plate injuries, and ingrown toenails. Heel pain is caused by repetitive stress on the growth plate. For athletic children overuse of the foot from jumping, running, and pounding irritates the heel growth plate. Children might experience foot pain when they have a flat foot but one obvious sign is the child’s withdrawal from physical activities.

A Houston pediatric foot specialist will help you maintain pediatric foot health and avoid common mistakes. A child’s feet are slowly learning how to stabilize, support the body weight, and absorb shock.

Some things to take note of include

·         Avoid tight shoes and socks. Tight shoes and socks will hinder the foot’s natural growth and hinder movement. Have your child’s feet loosely covered to help the feet kick freely and move without restrictions.

·     Choose the right footwear for your child. Ensure that the footwear is comfortable, if you observe signs of discomfort it’s time to change the footwear. When dealing with a child do not rely on the break-in period for tight shoes, so the shoes should be comfortable from the first day. Please note that both feet are not the same size so you need to buy larger shoes for your child. Lastly, no pair of shoes fits every situation, so buy appropriate footwear for sports and other activities to keep them safe and comfortable.

·    Clip the child’s toenails regularly to prevent ingrown toenails. Signs of ingrown toenails include pain, tenderness, and swelling in the edges of the toenails.

·        Change the footwear frequently to accommodate the growth of the feet.

·     Keep the feet dry and clean to decrease fungal and bacteria invasions. Fungus thrives in moisture, so clean and thoroughly dry between the toes.

·     Always check your child’s feet for unusual symptoms or injuries to the feet. Check for deformities that do not seem to resolve but require medical attention. Regular checkup that will identify these problems early means easy treatment that will ensure the healing of the conditions before they become severe or permanent.