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 Ask Dr. Jana
Bowlegged Toddler | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Jana,
My nephew is 1½ years old. He never really crawled. He just started walking. He now has really bad bowed legs and walks with his toes turned inward. My sister has taken him to see pediatric doctors, and they tell her they can do nothing until he is four or five years old. Should we be concerned about this now or wait and hope this is something he will grow out of?— Concerned Aunt in Redlands, California | | | ANSWER |
September 11, 2001 | | | Dear Concerned Aunt,
It is much easier to answer your question knowing that your sister has already taken your nephew in to be examined by pediatric doctors, since it is important that a doctor examine each child and take into account his age and specific situation.
That said, the information your sister was given is generally correct. Many toddlers have some degree of bowing of their legs and/or in-turned toes, which become especially noticeable when they first begin to walk. Over time, both being bowlegged and "pigeon-toed" tend to go away on their own. Unless a child has a unique situation that the doctor feels requires early intervention, pediatric orthopedists do not typically intervene before this natural correction process has taken place.
Another thing taken into consideration is how much impact being bowlegged or in-toed has on a child's ability to walk, run, and function normally as he grows older. I often tell concerned parents (and aunts) that if they stopped to take a look at many of the professional basketball players standing at a free-throw line, they'd quickly realize that many of these extremely talented athletes never completely outgrew their "pigeon-toes" and that they still stand with their toes pointing inwards!
Lastly, you mentioned that your nephew never really crawled. In case you were wondering, this is not uncommon and in most instances is not a cause for concern when a child is doing well in all other aspects of his motor development.— by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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