Will being pigeon toed cause me problems when I get older?!
Question:
Will being pigeon toed cause me problems when I get older?
My doctor said I have "inset hips" which makes my knees and feet turn inward. As a result I am pigeon toed and can't turn my feet outward much. I forgot to ask if this can cause me problems when I get older because it was just a quick check up.
Answers:
I had the same problem.
Doctors used to get pretty concerned when they saw young children who were "pigeon-toed" as you put it, and would sometimes prescribe braces and other treatments (one of my earliest memories -- from about 18 months old -- was trying to climb out of bed with my leg braces on!)
Since then, it has been recognized that unless the in-toeing is profound, it is not harmful at all (and most kids at least partly outgrow it). In fact, in-toeing is common in the best sprinters (I was that fastest kid at my school, in spite of my "deformity").