Hi, thank you for your question, and I think this topic is one that many parents are concerned. Walking with feet slightly turned In is known as a in-toeing gait, which can result in increase in tripping and falling in children. Whilst it is a condition that that can outgrow on its own (especially in very mild cases), it is important to address the condition early and take the right steps to ensure that a correction is achieved. In the case of a 5-year-old, it is already an age where we do not generally expect the child to be in-toeing.

The management of in-toeing highly depends on the root cause of the problem, which can occur at the level of the hips, knee, shin, or foot. For instance, if your child has a strong habit of “W” sitting, that creates an imbalance at the hips as the joint is now “more comfortable” in an internally rotated position than externally rotated. This sitting habit can also impact the thighbone development, causing a condition known as femoral anteversion. This results in in-toeing gait as the hip now “prefers” to be internally rotated than otherwise.

Jackie Tey,
Chief Podiatrist, Straits Podiatry.
Website: http://www.straitspodiatry.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Straits.Podiatry