walking on tip toes?

Caroline - posted on 07/04/2012

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Mary Renee - posted on 05/10/2011

I've known two kids to do this. The one had very mild cerebal palsy that caused certain tendons (including the one in her ankle) to be short and tense so she walked on her tip toes. The other girl did not have any other problems (such as cerebral palsy) but she did have unusually short tendon in her ankle (the Achilles tendon, I believe) that made it difficult for her to flex her foot so she also walked on her tip toes. She wore special shoes for a while and then had a surgery done to fix it.

It sounds like from the other posts that it might be something that she grows out of, however, it can't hurt to mention to it the pediatrician at her next well-baby check up so she/he can check her ankles for any abnormalities.

Sarah - posted on 05/10/2011

My daughter did this between ages 1 and 2. We thought nothing of it until the ped mentioned it at a well-baby check up. Right away she told us to go see an orthopedic guy for physical therapy. We thought the ped was nuts so we went to another. We were right. As long as we were able to move her foot around (stretching the muscles and tendons in her foot, ankles, and legs) without her being in any kind of pain, there was nothing wrong.
Lie your little one on her back, hold one ankle and gently rotate that foot around with your other hand. If she displays any type of discomfort related to the foot being moved, then I would talk to your ped.

Tina - posted on 05/06/2011

absolutely normal a lot of kids do it and grow out of it

Koree - posted on 05/06/2011

Both my kids did it and my daughter still will most of the time. I am not sure why they did it but it passed after a while

Shadhiaa - posted on 05/05/2011

Hey I have twins a boy and a girl my son is bow legged and leans towards the front when he walks his physical therapist says that his foot bends to far to his legs which is not normal so they gave him arch supports made to his feet which has helped a lot now my daughter is knock kneed and wlks on her tippee toes because she can not balance right so they said that she needs special made arch supports before her achilles tendon grows too short and she will never walk flat on her feet i understand that because her father who is twenty five ad his other daughter does the same thing they litterally can not walk flat on their feet but the can stand flat on their feet if they lean a certain way its all basically because they can not find the right ballance for them so they pull it from somewhere else in their body so yes ad no it is normal but you might want her to be seen by a professional.

Yaremie - posted on 05/04/2011

My niece walks on her tip toes and it is not a problem. They say that it can be a sensory problem, but all kids grow out of that. If you are so concerned, just contact your local Early Intervention Program and have an evaluator examine her. But personally, I don't think it is a problem. Maybe keeping shoes on her at all times may do good for her. Massaging her feet at night is good for sensory. She will be fine. :-)

LeeAnn - posted on 05/04/2011

Christina,

It's really hard to tell. How old is she? My daughter started walking at 1 and she has always been on her tip toes (she's 9 now). There is nothing wrong with it at all. Do not let people tell you there is. The only things that you may have a problem with is people making fun of her and leg cramps. Other than that, don't worry yourself. Try to correct it yourself by reminding her to walk flat-footed but don't push her. Good luck!

Stephanie - posted on 05/04/2011

I'm 25 and still do it all the time without realizing it. Not sure about severity or anything but I never needed special shoes or physio. As suggested before, speak to your doctor if you're concerned. I've also been told in the past it's because of jolly jumpers and exersaucers and apparently there's been studies done on it but don't quote me.

Toni - posted on 05/04/2011

I think we need to ask you, Christina B, does she do it constantly, or just sometimes?? Like I said, mine have all done it, but not non stop. They also walked correctly, they just figured out that they could do it and done it. However, if she is doing it non stop, maybe you should get her checked out. Don't freak out just yet though(I freak out whenever I take a child to get checked) she will feel your anxiety and not respond well. Good luck hun and please keep us informed. ♥

Jessica - posted on 05/04/2011

It's something they will grow out of. My 8 year old did it and now my 3 year old does it. My doctor says its just their way of exploring balance and they will stop it.

Ella - posted on 05/03/2011

My daughter sienna walked on her toes too for a little while. I was concerned at the time as she was my first child, and so i talked with someone who works in pediatric occupational therapy. She said that that rubbing her legs from her thigh down to her ankle and up helps relax the muscles that tighten with toe walking. It also helps with sensory stimulation. Plus, she will love it. =) My daughter's phase with toe walking thankfully did not last long and more than likely neither will your child's. If you see that it is becoming more than a few months bring the subject up with your childs pediatrician. I also found occupational therapy to be an amazing resource and amazing help for my little girl.

Danielle - posted on 05/03/2011

Nichole
"I didn't know walking on tiptoes was a sign of Autism? LOL sorry... bwaha"

Yes, walking on tip-toes, hand flapping, rocking back and forth, as well as licking random objects are all signs of Autism.
...also, I fail to see how knowing this information warrants the response of "laughing-out-loud"...

I'm guessing Autism isn't something you are dealing with for your own children, or else you'd understand the stress involved with raising a child with Autism... and probably wouldn't appreciate other making light-of the subject.

Susan - posted on 05/03/2011

my daughter did this when she was younger don't know why but sometimes she still does. She did eventually start walking normally but I never really paid much atention to it.

Alecia - posted on 05/03/2011

my daughter is 19 mnths and has been walking since 14-15 mnths. and she just started doing this once in awhile. i do know its normal when babies first start walking to do it, and most grow out of it.

Lauren - posted on 05/03/2011

my daughters doing that too my sister-in-law said her son did that and went through a phase its normal i think they just discovered how to do it and think its fun.

Tara - posted on 05/03/2011

Our son, who is now almost 5 and a half, has done this ever since he could walk. It's lessened as he's gotten older and he does it more now, when he's excited about something. It was kind of funny, though, to see a little kid of 2 or 3 with his calf muscles clearly defined because of walking like that :)

Jodie - posted on 05/03/2011

Our 3 year old does it still and has done everynow and then since she started walking but we noticed that she did it when she was having a growth spurt so maybe watch her and see. We just figured it was coz she has these rapid periods of growth but her muscels and legaments take a little while to catch up. She is fine in between times and doesnt slow her down at all. Hope this helps your piece of mind!

√v^√v^√♥ - posted on 05/02/2011

I didn't know walking on tiptoes was a sign of Autism? LOL sorry... bwaha

Christina - posted on 05/02/2011

My 3 year old daughter has been walking on her tip toes since she started walking at 15 months of age. I talked to her pediatrician, who assured me that she was fine and she'd eventually out grow it. I'm thinking about getting a second opinion because my niece, who is 17, walked on her tip toes from the time she started walking. My sister took her to three different doctors before they finally diagnosed her with having deformed arches, meaning the bones in her feet didn't fuse together properly. She had to wear special shoes, that also had to be specially made, as well as do physical therapy. My advice for know is to just keep an eye on it, because it could just be a phase, however, if she's still doing it 6 to 12 months from now, if you want to wait that long, than talk to her doctor about it! Hope this helps!

Danielle - posted on 05/02/2011

It is a normal stage of development, but as Schmoopy had noted that after a certain age it could be something more along developmental lines.
If you start noticing her lining up toys, or regressing with her vocabulary, violent tantrums, and a general lack of understanding I would look into getting her checked by a specialist (particularly for Autism).

I am not trying to scare you or assume your child would be Autistic, but I am experiencing quite a few problems like this myself with my own little boy, so I have done endless research and know the warning signs, inside and out.

Camille - posted on 05/02/2011

Christina.
Its so funny you wrote this because just this week we have noticed our babe doing the same thing. She is 15 months and has been walking since about 9 months. In my opinion she is most likely just experimenting with her body and learning how it works. If she was walking flat footed first its most likely fine, even if it becomes routine i dont think its going to have any ill effect on her. I know plenty of people who walk on their tippy toes and are perfectly fine and normal. So i say let her do it, see what happens. she might grow out of it. she might not. however if her legs seem particularly tight even when shes resting i would consult a Dr. As far as CP is concerned i am pretty sure you would have noticed by now if she had cerebral palsy as i think most cases are diagnosed within the first month of life. Happy walking!

Schmoopy - posted on 05/02/2011

Christina, it's called "Toe Walking." It's common, but your baby should outgrow it by age 2. If she doesn't, def look into intervening via Early Intervention. (Your ped should be able to give you info on your local program.)

Check here to see more about Toe Walking: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/toe-wal...

Elfrieda - posted on 05/02/2011

My cousin's son did that. It was really cute and funny to see him bouncing along! The doctors weren't worried at first. Apparently it's normal to do that right when he learns to walk, but after six months, he should have been walking normally, but he wasn't. They had to give him a small operation to do something with the tendons so that he could put his foot flat on the ground. So if yours just started walking, you don't have to worry for 6 months yet.

Alexis - posted on 05/02/2011

My daughter is almost 4 and she does that. Though it is not all the time, she does it when she is playing mostly, but she dos do it for a long period of time. I think she is just playing, that she probably saw another child doing and decided that it looked like fun. I don't think there is anything wrong with her.

Rachel - posted on 05/02/2011

how old is your little one

Toni - posted on 05/02/2011

All Of my boys have done it. I think they just learnt hat they can do something new, and have to play with it. Soo funny and cute to, so just enjoy it. :)

Holly - posted on 04/30/2011

My oldest did for a while when she was 4. She stopped when she started going to kindergarten because she couldn't keep up with her friends - lol.



I asked the doc about it once and she said it was completely normal and some kids do it while some don't. Nothing to worry about :) If you are concerned about it ask your pediatrician though.

Sally - posted on 04/30/2011

My daughter does quite often. I find it cute and funny. I've never thought that anything was wrong with it, and it is nice to hear I'm not the only one.

Brittany - posted on 04/30/2011

My daughter doesn't; but she was a farily late walker, so she might start in a few months or so. I know that my niece did, I'm not sure about the rest of the group.

Melly - posted on 04/30/2011

My son did, my nephews did, my nieces did, friends kids did, i figured that everyone does (and those who don't arent normal) LOL Just kidding.
Im pretty sure it's normal, and of all the kids ive seen that do it, they are all walking normally now. My son started walking by himself at 13 months, he's nearly 15 months and isnt doing it anymore, so it passed quickly with him.
But as April said, if you are concerned, it doesnt hurt to ask your doctor :)

April - posted on 04/30/2011

Sounds like my sister. When my sister was a toddler she loved walking on her tip toes and she's perfectly normal, she stopped after awhile though. Don't know why she did it but she used to do it a lot. If it really concerns you, you could always ask your doctor :)