It is normal for children under the age of 2 to have what seems to be "flat feet" or "fallen arches". This is primarily due to the additional fat padding "baby fat" that infants have on the soles of their feet masking the development of the arch.  The other factor is that a child's arch doesn't fully develop until later in childhood. Under the age of two, the child's foot experiences weak muscle tone and lose ankle ligaments that permit the foot to lean inwards, it isn't until these muscles, tendons and ligaments develop that the arch is fully developed. Training of the feet. especially by foot gymnastics and going barefoot on varying terrain can facilitate the formation of arches during childhood. By around age of seven, your child should have normal arches in both feet. However if you are unsure about whether or not your child's feet are considered normal, or if their "flat feet" continues after the age of five, than you may consider taking them to a podiatrist to get checked out.

It is important for parents to check their childrens feet for signs of excessively flat feet. The reason for this is that young children are unlikely to suspect or identify flat feet on their own. Besides visual inspection, parents should notice whether or not their child is considered "clumsy", tripping alot, walking strangely, or complaining of pain. In many cases there is no need for treatment for children with flat feet, especially if the cause is genetic. In these cases we often advise parents on making sure their children wear good shoes and develop good strength in there feet. However, if a child is experiencing pain then shoe inserts, calf stretches, and physical therapy may be considered.

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