Flat foot is a very common medical condition which a large percentage of human population has. It is of a great importance that the problem is taken seriously and dealt with on time. Firms like Softies Baby Shoes (www.softiesbabyshoes.com) are producing footwear for children that help babies’ and kids’ feet develop in a proper manner.
The Basics
Flat feet (also called pes planus or fallen arches) is a formal reference to a medical condition in which the arch of the foot collapses, with the entire sole of the foot coming into complete or near-complete contact with the ground. [1] Flat feet are a common appearance in infants because their arch is not completely developed. In time feet’s muscle, bones and ligaments grow and the arch is formatted. Nevertheless adults can have flat feet as well.
The Influence Factor
According to the article ‘The influence of footwear on the prevalence of flat foot. A survey of 2300 children’ shoe-wearing in early childhood is detrimental to the development of a normal longitudinal arch. Flat foot was most common in children who wore closed-toe shoes, less common in those who wore sandals or slippers, and least in the unshod.[2]
Although adults can develop flat feet as a consequence of injury, illness, a constant stress to the foot or even during pregnancy the influence of footwear is still the most significant. A survey of 1846 skeletally mature persons [3] shows an association between the wearing of shoes in early childhood and flat foot. Flat foot was highest in those who, as children, wore footwear for over eight hours each day. Obesity certainly had an important influence on developing flat foot but the greatest impact left wearing shoes before the age of six years.
Treatment
In ‘Pediatric flatfoot: evaluation and management’ [4] JA Sullivan explains that this condition is not painful and generally resolves without treatment; very rarely corrective casting is necessary. The easiest way to prevent and even correct flat foot is going barefoot as often as possible, and especially over terrain like as a beach where muscles are given a good workout. [5]
Conclusion:
According to the article ‘Prevalence of Flat Foot in Preschool-Aged Children’ [6] the prevalence of flat foot is influenced by 3 factors: age, gender, and weight. Whereas the first two factors cannot be influenced, each individual can take care of their weight. In addition to that choosing a proper footwear for your children can help greatly in preventing the condition of flat foot which even though not dangerous can create inconvenience.
References:
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_feet#Treatment
[2] ‘The influence of footwear on the prevalence of flat foot. A survey of 2300 children’ Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery – British Volume, Vol 74-B, Issue 4, 525-527
Copyright © 1992 by British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery, by: UB Rao and B Joseph
[3] ‘The influence of footwear on the prevalence of flat foot. A survey of 1846 skeletally mature persons’ by: V Sachithanandam and B Joseph, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery – British Volume, Vol 77-B, Issue 2, 254-257
Copyright © 1995 by British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery
[4] ‘Pediatric flatfoot: evaluation and management’, JA Sullivan, Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_feet#Treatment
[6] ‘Prevalence of Flat Foot in Preschool-Aged Children’ by: Martin Pfeiffer, MD, Rainer Kotz, Prof MD, Thomas Ledl, MSc,Gertrude Hauser, Prof MD, Maria Sluga, Prof MD, The American Academy of Pediatrics
