Patient's question:
Doctor, hello; my niece is already 1 year and 5 months old, but since she learned to walk, she has always walked with pigeon-toed feet. Especially for girls, their feet bend inward when walking. It's so ugly, please ask how to correct it? (She often uses diapers because she frequently urinates and defecates on herself, so she uses diapers both day and night). I hope everyone can give me some better experience and methods!Doctor's answer:
Patient Gender: FemalePatient Age: 1 year 5 months
Symptoms: O-shaped legs
Recommendations: Hello: O-shaped legs in childhood are often a result of sequelae from rickets during this period, caused by calcium deficiency leading to bone softening, hence also known as "cartilage disease." These children, when learning to walk, experience gradual deformation of softened bones under the weight of their lower limbs, forming O-shaped legs. ...Early walking in children can lead to bowlegs. Other diseases, such as congenital tibial varus or hypophosphatemic vitamin D-resistant rickets, can also cause O-shaped legs in some children.
a) If the baby has mild O-shaped legs, parents don’t need to worry too much! This condition usually improves as the child grows older or reaches a certain age.
b) Pay attention to avoid letting the baby develop a habit of kneeling on both lower limbs.
c) Encourage the baby to engage in more outdoor activities or exercise to strengthen the muscles of the lower limbs and enhance calcium absorption. Most children with O-shaped legs will have their lower limbs restored to normal by the time they start primary school.
d) Include high-calcium foods in the diet, such as kelp, cheese, green peas, seaweed, egg yolks, black sesame seeds, shrimp, soybeans, chrysanthemum greens, and black fungus. Encourage the baby to spend time in the sun regularly to promote calcium absorption.
The specific methods for correcting O-shaped legs are as follows:
(1) Stand upright, feet together, and support both knees with hands. Perform squatting and standing movements forward, 20–30 times.
(2) Bend over, support both knees with hands, and perform circular movements to the left and right, 20–30 times.
(3) Stand with feet slightly wider apart, bend over, support both knees, and practice bringing the knees together inward. Hold for 10 seconds each time, 5–10 times.
(4) Stand with feet parallel. First, rotate the feet outward and inward using the heels as the axis; then, rotate the feet outward and inward using the toes as the axis, each 20–30 times.
(5) Sit in a chair and try to hold a book with the lower limbs. Hold for a certain period. If elastic bands are used to wrap the knees, the effect is more significant.
(6) Kneel on the legs, arch the back, and slowly move the feet outward and forward while gradually straightening the waist. Perform 15–20 times.
Lifestyle Care:
Supplement: O-shaped legs in children are usually corrected on their own through walking by the age of two. If a child aged 9 still has O-shaped legs that haven’t been corrected, it is recommended to seek medical treatment.