Intoeing (pigeon toe) in children and young people
শিশু ও তরুণদের ভেতরের দিকে বাঁকা পায়ের পাতা (ইনটোয়িং)
Your child's feet turn inward when they walk. Some people call this hen-toeing or pigeon toeing. It's a normal part of childhood.
Common Symptoms
Symptom information is not available for this condition yet.
⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Medicines Commonly Used
⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.
No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.
When to See a Doctor
When should you speak to a healthcare professional?
Sometimes in-toeing has another cause that does need treatment.
Please contact your healthcare professional if your child has any of the following:
- In-toeing that's noticeably worse in one foot than the other
- A noticeable limp
- Leg pain that doesn't go away or seems unusual
- Stiffness in the hip
- In-toeing that starts suddenly in a child older than 5
Your healthcare professional can usually spot these issues just by examining your child, and special tests aren't normally needed.
Please don't include personal information such as your name, location, or any personal health conditions.
Causes
Intoeing usually has one of a few explanations, and none of them mean anything is wrong with your child.
One common reason is femoral anteversion, where the thigh bone itself turns inwards, pulling the whole leg in with it. This shows up most often between the ages of 2 and 4, and it tends to look better by around age 10.
Another is tibial torsion. Here the shin bone is the part that has turned inwards, so the foot points in even though the kneecap still faces forward. This normally settles by age 4 to 5 as the bones lengthen and the muscles get stronger.
A third cause is metatarsus adductus, where the foot itself curves inwards. This is often related to how cramped the space was in the womb, so it is usually noticeable from birth. Most children grow out of it, though how fast varies from child to child.
Parents often ask whether intoeing affects how well a child can run or walk. Every child trips, stumbles and looks a bit clumsy at different stages, and this is usually just down to growth spurts temporarily affecting their coordination. Intoeing does not generally make this worse, though children who intoe a lot may seem to trip a little more often.
If your child is intoeing, know that this is a normal part of development, and there is no need to worry your family over it. One thing worth watching for is the W sitting position. It will not cause any harm on its own, but sitting this way for long stretches can make the intoeing more noticeable, so it helps to gently encourage other sitting positions instead.
As for speeding things along, there is no evidence that physiotherapy or special insoles change how quickly intoeing improves. What does help is staying active, so encourage your child to keep moving and take part in sports as usual.
Most children grow out of intoeing by the age of 8 to 10. If it has not resolved by then, it will not affect your child's future in any way. Some adults intoe, and it does not stop a person from doing any job they choose, nor does it raise the chances of leg problems later on.
In rare, severe cases, where a child cannot turn their hips outward at all and has significant pain or trouble moving, an orthopaedic surgeon may recommend treatment. This would mean surgery to untwist the hips, a major operation that is only ever considered once a child is fully grown.