As a child grows, body changes occur everywhere, including your child’s feet. Pediatric foot care is essential to help identify foot or gait issues early so they can be treated or corrected. The foot doctors at Family Foot and Ankle Associates of Maryland provide comprehensive podiatry services for people of all ages, including children. They have several convenient office locations in Silver Spring, Kensington, Olney, Camp Springs/Clinton, Laurel, and Maple Lawn, MD.
How Pediatric Foot Care Can Help Your Child
Children can suffer from a wide range of foot, toe, and ankle conditions that a podiatrist can treat. Some of the most common conditions include:
- Flat feet
- Toes pointing out or in
- Frequent tripping
- Ankle bulging
- Bowed legs
- Ingrown toenails
- Knock knees
- Plantar warts
Podiatrists offer several effective treatment options for pediatric foot care, including:
- Custom orthotics, to help with gait issues, realignment of feet and toes, and flat feet
- Laser therapy, to treat ingrown toenails, fungal infections, and plantar warts
- Exercises and physical therapy, to help with gait issues, leg strengthening, and foot and toe realignment
Foot, toe, and ankle injuries are common for children too, especially if your child is active or plays a sport. Some of the children’s foot injuries a podiatrist can treat include:
- Bruising and swelling
- Cuts and lacerations
- Torn ligaments and tendons
- Dislocated bones
- Fractured or broken bones
Depending on the severity of the injury, your podiatrist may recommend:
- Wound dressing to prevent infection
- Ice packs to reduce swelling
- Surgical therapy to repair damaged areas
- Assistive devices including walking casts, boots, or crutches
A podiatrist also can offer tips and guidelines on how you can help keep your child’s feet protected and healthy. It’s important to:
- Avoid having your child go barefoot to prevent injury, fungal infections, and other issues
- Make sure your child wears the right footwear for the activity your child is doing
- Examine your child’s feet regularly, looking for cuts, blisters, and other wounds
- Apply antibiotic cream to wounds and bandage them to prevent infection
Want To Know More About Pediatric Foot Care?
To discover more about the importance of pediatric foot care for growing children, call the foot doctors at Family Foot and Ankle Associates of Maryland. You can reach them at:
- Silver Spring, MD, by calling (301) 439-0300
- Kensington, MD, by calling (301) 942-8110
- Camp Springs/Clinton, MD, by calling (301) 868-7670
- Olney, MD, by calling (301) 924-5044
- Laurel, MD, by calling (301) 317-6800
- Maple, MD, by calling (301) 317-6800
Call today.