Out-Toeing: How to Care for Your Child

Out-toeing is when a person walks with the toes of one or both feet pointed outward. Kids with out-toeing can run, jump, and play like other kids. It usually goes away without treatment. 

• Your child can do all usual activities, including running, walking, or playing sports.

• It can be hard to tell that things are improving because it happens so slowly. To help you track the changes, you can take a video of your child walking once or twice a year. 

Your child:

• has pain in the knee, hip, or other part of the leg

• has weakness or limping

• has out-toeing that gets worse

• has joint stiffness

• trips or falls a lot

Why do kids get out-toeing? Most of the time, a slight twist in the shinbone or thighbone causes out-toeing. Before birth, the baby's bones may have twisted slightly to fit into the small space of the womb. Often these bones are still twisted when the baby is born and can twist more during different stages of growth. The twist may be noticed when a child begins to walk or at different ages as growth and changes in the legs make the out-toeing more obvious. 

Sometimes if the feet are flat (without an arch), they can look turned out. Rarely, a problem with the hip bones can cause out-toeing.

Do braces or special shoes help? No. In the past, special shoes and braces were used to treat out-toeing. But doctors found that these didn't make it disappear any faster, so they're rarely used now.

How long will it take to get better? It can take years for kids to outgrow out-toeing. Some kids continue to have out-toeing as adults, but it usually doesn't cause problems or keep them from doing activities.