In-Toeing: How to Care for Your Child

In-toeing is when a person walks with the toes of one or both feet pointed inward. Kids with in-toeing can run, jump, and play like other kids. It usually goes away without treatment.

• Your child can do all usual activities, including running, walking, or playing sports.

• It can be hard to tell that things are improving because it happens so slowly. To help you track the changes, you can take a video of your child walking once or twice a year.

Your child:

• has pain, weakness, or limping

• has in-toeing that gets worse

• trips or falls a lot

Why do kids get in-toeing? Most of the time, a slight twist in the shinbone or thighbone causes in-toeing. Curved feet also can cause the toes to point inward. Before birth, the baby's bones may have twisted slightly to fit into the small space of the womb. Often these bones are still twisted when the baby is born and can twist more during different stages of growth. The twist may be noticed when a child begins to walk or at various ages as growth and changes in the legs make the in-toeing more obvious. 

Do braces or special shoes help? No. In the past, special shoes and braces were used to treat in-toeing. But doctors found that these didn't make it disappear any faster, so they're rarely used now. 

How long will it take to get better? It can take years for kids to outgrow in-toeing. Some kids continue to have in-toeing as adults, but it usually doesn't cause problems or keep them from doing activities.