As we discussed last time, parents understandably seem to
very sensitive to any apparent deformity or perceived imperfection in their
children as they develop. Another common
concern for parents is if their children walk with their knees touching or with
their legs bowed. Let’s discuss some of
the important points regarding this subject.
Some of the principles we discussed in the toe walking post
also apply to this discussion. Abrupt
changes or a sudden deviation from the normal over a short period of time are
the best indicator of an underlying problem.
When children are learning to walk, they will find the easiest, most
comfortable way to get around. This
tends to not be the most normal looking gait cycle. Unless they were walking in one way and
abruptly change, variations from “normal” should not be alarming.
As a child matures, their bones go through an unwinding
process. This process is called
torsion. As the bones unwind, a child’s
gait will slightly alter until the maturation process is a finished. Depending on the age of the child, their legs
will vary from being slightly bow legged to slightly knocked kneed and
somewhere in between. This evolution
of the legs tends to resolve at about the age of fourteen, with the legs being
straight or very close to it.
Parents should seek medical attention if the deformities are
severely exaggerated in either direction.
Most often, severe walking deformities can be expected with some
childhood neurological disorders and are often caught close to the birth of the
child. However, they can develop later unexpectedly
due to an underlying bone disorder or malnutrition due to malabsorption of a
certain nutrient. These are less common
but do happen.
