Pediatric Intoeing

What You Need to Know

Intoeing, commonly referred to as being pigeon toed, happens when children walk with their feet turned in. It’s a common condition that can be present at birth or develop in young children.

Intoeing usually doesn’t cause pain or prevent a child from learning to walk or run and often corrects itself. Most children’s feet gradually straighten out as they grow older and their walking and running improves. If the condition continues and is left untreated, it can lead to complications including:

• An unbalanced gait (way of walking) that can cause strain
• Reduced athletic ability because of problems running and jumping
• Foot deformities including bunions, hammertoes and flat feet