Back To School Tips: Don’t Neglect Your Child’s Foot Health

The development of your child’s foot is vitally important to ensure that they can enjoy a healthy, active, happy adult life. And proper footwear is an important part of a child’s foot health. So today, Dr. Hubert Lee of CarePlus Foot & Ankle Specialists is sharing information you need to know about your child’s feet.

Painful feet and legs are common among adolescents and children, but it is in no way normal.

Any type of foot pain should be examined if:

Symptoms last for 48 hours or more;
Your child is tripping or falling;
There are any visible differences between your child’s legs and feet;
Your child withdraws from activities.

Some of the most common areas of concern for parents include:

In-toeing or out-toeing;
Flat feet;
Bowed legs;
Ingrown toenails;
Plantar warts;
Delayed crawling or walking;
Skin rashes.

The start of the new school year typically means that you’ll be taking your child to shop for new school shoes. There are certain benefits that quality shoes provide, while improper footwear can exacerbate existing ailments.

Watch for signs of redness, blistering, and/or irritation that may be caused by shoes that are too small or big. Closely examine the heels of your child’s shoes for unevenness as this could be an indication of something more serious.

Here are some tips for getting properly fitted shoes for your child.

Because feet can swell, shop for shoes later in the day.
Take your child with you while shoe shopping;
Involve them in their foot health.
Shoes should feel comfortable right away, not after being broken in.
Choose shoes for the foot that is the longest since they are seldom the same size.
Try on the shoes with the same socks that they will be wearing with them.
Get fitted by someone trained and knowledgeable.

It’s important that you have your child’s feet assessed by a podiatrist each year, beginning around the age of three. Your podiatrist can educate parents regarding proper footwear and normal development of your child’s feet and provide management options if treatment is required.

Before you go shopping for new school shoes, contact the office of Dr. Hubert Lee at CarePlus Foot & Ankle Specialists at (425) 455-0936 to book your child’s annual foot checkup or schedule it online.

You Might Also Enjoy...

4 Reasons Athletes Get Metatarsalgia

We at CarePlus Foot & Ankle Specialists treat athletes with sports-related foot problems all the time, but with metatarsalgia, it could be difficult pinning down the exact cause. There are many, so let’s go over them.

The Real Reason Why Your Arches Hurt

A burning, throbbing ache running through the arch of your foot is one of the most common descriptions of arch pain we at CarePlus Foot & Ankle Specialists hear from our patients.

Podiatrist checking on patients swollen foot

How Diabetic Foot Issues Limit Your Life (And What You Can Do About It)

When foot complications arise with diabetes, they directly interfere with the simple, everyday activities that make your life enjoyable. So, let’s see how these symptoms interfere, and what you can start doing to tame them.

5 Fascinating Facts About Bunions You Might Not Know

When you hear the word bunion, you probably picture a misshapen big toe with an inordinate bump. But what’s causing that huge bump? And what does it mean for us at CarePlus Foot & Ankle Specialists when it’s time to treat it?

family in costumes enjoying Halloween activities

5 Essential Safety Tips for a Happy Halloween Night

Halloween is one of the most exciting nights of the year for kids, filled with costumes, candy, and, most importantly, lots of walking! Let us at CarePlus Foot & Ankle Specialists walk you through the best foot safety tips to have an injury-free Halloween.

doctor using REMY laser therapy on a foot

How REMY Laser Therapy Clears Up Toenail Infections

We at CarePlus Foot & Ankle Specialists offer a fantastic, non-invasive solution: REMY Laser Therapy. Let’s see how this specialized laser works – and why it’s becoming a leading therapy for tackling onychomycosis.