When they were babies you chanted "
This little piggy went to market..." as you played with their toes, but how often do you really think about your child's feet?
Since April is Foot Health Awareness Month,
HealthyFeetStore.com would like to ask all the parents who read our newsletter to make a special effort this month to be aware of their
child's foot health.
Many adult foot problems have their origins in childhood.
For young children the best thing you can do as a parent to ensure your child has optimum foot health is to make sure they are never wearing shoes that are too short or too narrow for their feet. Shoes that fit too tightly are especially dangerous for children because they can interfere with healthy foot growth. Never assume children will complain when their shoes don't fit properly. Measure your child's feet every month (every week if your child is going through a growth spurt). You can make a game out of it. Trace an outline of their feet and compare it to the old outline. If the new outline is significantly larger, then
your child needs a new shoe.
And remember, awareness does not mean paranoia. Very rigid or corrective children's shoes should only be worn with a podiatrist's recommendation. Children
with healthy feet should wear flexible shoes that protect the bottom of their feet
from infection and injury. Children's shoes with
arch support are for older children whose feet have developed enough to benefit from the extra support, and may actually negatively effect the growth of very little feet.
