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Foot growth rate in children age one to six years
Foot & Ankle
|January 1, 1983
Insights
Children aged 12-30 months need new shoes every 2-3 months. Foot growth slows, requiring changes every 4-6 months for older children up to age 6.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Orthopedics
- Podiatry
Background:
- Previous guidelines recommended shoe size changes every 1-2 months for children aged 2-6 years.
- Current recommendations lack data on precise foot growth rates in young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the actual frequency of shoe size changes needed for children aged 12 months to 6 years.
- To provide evidence-based data for footwear recommendations in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 112 children undergoing treatment for flatfoot.
- Longitudinal tracking of foot growth and corresponding shoe size requirements.
Main Results:
- Children aged 12-30 months require shoe size changes every 2-3 months.
- Foot growth rate decreases significantly between 30 months and 6 years.
- Shoe size changes are needed every 4 months for children up to 4 years.
- Shoe size changes are needed every 6 months for children aged 4-6 years.
Conclusions:
- The frequency of shoe size changes is less than previously suggested for children aged 2-6 years.
- Foot growth patterns indicate a need for revised footwear guidelines in early childhood.
Abstract:
Previous guidelines suggested that children age 2 to 6 years require a shoe size change every 1 to 2 months. Our study of foot growth in 112 children enrolled in a prospective treatment protocol for flatfoot demonstrates that children age 12 to 30 months will require shoe size change every two to three months but that foot growth slows over the subsequent four years, necessitating shoe size change only every 4 months in children up to 4 years of age and every 6 months in children from age 4 to 6 years.