Crooked legs in a child: are they always pathology?
Czy crooked legs in a child should we always worry? What causes crooked legs in a one-year-old child? What is it about varus knee in children? Whether valgus knees in a child need to be treated? Below you will find comprehensive answers and practical tips based on knowledge and experience in the field of pediatric physiotherapy.
The first 7 years of a child's life are the period of the greatest changes when it comes to shaping the lower limbs. These changes may be more noticeable only when the toddler begins to walk, which is probably why there are so many questions about the crooked legs of a one-year-old child. In order to understand that crooked legs or valgus knees may be a physiological state at a given stage, it is worth following the development of the lower limbs in our children.
How do baby's legs develop?
Undoubtedly, it can be said that the beginning of the "training" of the toddler's legs starts very early, because it is already in the mother's belly. The kicks shape not only the foot, but also the entire lower limb. After the baby is born, the visited legs position themselves in flexion and external rotation (for the so-called "frog"), which allows you to create good conditions for still shaping and immature hip joints. With the following months, the child's activity increases, the variety of movements, the toddler acquires new skills. Sit down, get up, and between 8 and 18 months of age, the baby begins its adventure with walking.
From where crooked legs in a one-year-old child?
The legs then take the entire weight of the body, and the knees are at varus - a gap can be observed between the child's knees. Crooked legs in a one-year-old child are not cause for concern - it is a physiologically occurring stage in development. Walking - apart from being a new skill for our child - is also a very complex process (its quality is influenced by factors such as balance, coordination, eyesight and many others). Along with the improvement of walking skills, the toddler experiences less and less falls, and his gait becomes more shapely and better coordinated. However, in the case of a one-year-old child, it can be different. Therefore, do not panic if, at the beginning of the adventure with getting up or walking, our child sets his legs crookedly - let's watch, providing conditions for multidimensional development.
Knee varus in children
Knee varus in children occurs from birth to around 2 years of agewhen the toddler's legs get straight position during development. Varus knee at this stage is therefore a physiological phenomenon in children that does not require external correction or treatment. If there are no other diseases of the skeletal system, there are no indications for the use of stiff orthopedic shoes. We should provide the child with freedom of movement, the ability to walk on various structures and surfaces. Early putting on shoes or specialized exercises will not prevent a child from developing varus in the knees - it is the norm for proper development.
Knee knees in a child
After the knee varus stage, which gradually disappears around the age of 2, there is a period of valgus. Knee knees in a child, often described by parents as "X", are especially noticeable in children between 3 and 4 years of age. In a standing position, your knees touch each other while your ankles are spaced apart. The feet are flat valgus and the heels appear to point outwards. As with varus, valgus knees are normal in healthy children and shouldn't be worried about.
The first years of life are a period of intensive growth of a toddler, and what is related to it, changes in body proportions, joint shaping and muscle strengthening. All these factors have an impact on how our child's feet are positioned. Therefore, you should observe the child and only react when there is a clear need.
Expert advises
In case of doubts as to whether the curves of the child's legs are still physiological, or whether the therapy should already be implemented, it is worth consulting a child orthopedist to assess the child's entire body posture. One should not judge the position of the lower limbs without observing the whole picture presented by the toddler. It may be helpful to consult a physiotherapist who will assess the position of the child's legs - both in motion and in static positions.
Sitting in the letter W or in Turkish?
A common concern for parents is the way their child sits down. Sit in the so-called "letter W" is a position in which the child sits between his feet, and the arrangement of the legs resembles this letter. Indeed, jif the toddler very often chooses this position to play and maintains it for a long time, it may be a cause for concern - as a symptom of e.g. reduced muscle tone. It is worth consulting a specialist then. However, in the vast majority of children, this position will be one of the many variants of sitting down and will not be maintained for a long time - then there is no reason to prohibit the child from sitting in this way. It is not possible that sitting in the "letter W" for 10-30 seconds, even several times a day, will cause them to occur. crooked legs in a child. Only maintaining the same position for a long time and staying still will have consequences for the child's musculoskeletal system.
It is worth teaching the child to sit in Turkish, i.e. in the cross-sit position, with the knees outwards, as it is more beneficial for the positioning of the hip and knee joints. However, as in the previous case - with a large variety of movement of the child, frequent adoption of this position for a short time will not positively affect the already existing defects or negatively affect the proper development. It is one of the many variants of the sit down.
When to consult a specialist?
It is often difficult for parents who see a child every day to assess whether the position of their child's legs is within the normal range, whether it is necessary to go to a consultation or start an appropriate therapy. The advice of an orthopedist or pediatric physiotherapist may be helpful. However, there are situations where there are clear indications for such a consultation. This is the case, for example, when:
- one leg is positioned differently than the other (e.g. one knee is more lopsided than the other),
- the child reports pain, incomplete range of motion in the joints,
- other neuromuscular diseases coexist.
This is another argument in favor of observing the development of our child especially carefully in the first years - thanks to this, we will not miss the need to consult a specialist and we will be sure that everything is fine with the setting of the child's legs.
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