The reason why the baby’s little feet appear in the inner and outer figure of eight walking posture, and the shape of their two legs, O-legged babies walking, little feet in the outer figure of eight, X-legged babies walking, little feet produce the inner figure of eight. The baby’s two legs in the growth and development process has a change process from O-legged, to become straight, and then X-legged, so the footprints left by the small feet will also have an external figure of eight, parallel alignment and internal figure of eight 3 kinds of shapes.
Generally speaking, there is a physiological change in the force line (axis) of the lower limbs of a healthy baby from birth to adolescence: 1. In the neonatal period, there is about 15° of knee inversion; 2. Around 18 months, as the baby walks as a toddler, the force line of the lower limbs gradually becomes straight; 3. After early childhood, there is knee valgus, which is about 12°; 4. In the adolescent stage, there is about 4° to 6° of knee valgus.
This physiological angulation of the lower extremities can be corrected on its own as the baby grows and develops, without treatment or restriction of activities, only observation is needed. However, pathological angular deformity of the lower limbs can be caused by trauma, epiphyseal dysplasia, and metabolic diseases, which cannot be corrected by the growth potential of young children, and often require brace treatment or surgery. After understanding the development process of the baby’s two legs, it is not difficult to understand the problem of the small feet inward and outward. These growth and development problems are physiological, that is to say, this is the normal performance of the baby’s growth and development process, mothers and fathers do not need to worry and worry.
Do babies with O-leg and X-leg need treatment?
Generally speaking, if the distance between the knee joints (knee spacing) in babies with O-leg or the distance between the ankle joints (ankle spacing) in babies with X-leg does not exceed 5 cm, no special treatment is needed, only observation is required.
Over 5 cm, it is recommended that splinting may be used for treatment. Splinting is a common term, but the professional name is “orthopedic brace”. For babies with a knee spacing or ankle spacing between 5 cm and 10 cm, the splint should be worn only at night, for about 4 to 6 hours every night. If it is more than 10 cm, you need to wear the splint both during the day and at night, and splinting is ineffective or even requires surgery.