Keeping Your Children’s Feet Safe

Summer is here, and the hot weather provides plenty of opportunities for our kids to enjoy the outdoors! Just a reminder: do not forget to keep them safe – and their feet, too!

Here are some steps that you need to take to keep them safe and healthy both indoors and outdoors:

Make them wear the right footwear.

Shoes serve as protection to our children’s feet.  Since they enjoy running and playing around, it is important that they have the proper footwear that can protect them no matter what they are doing. Kids would be too busy playing, they wouldn’t take a second look on where they are walking or running.

Wearing the right type of footwear not just protects them from stepping on sharp objects such as broken glass, splinters, and more; it also helps them prevent injuries such as sprains, stubbed toes and puncture wounds. You have to keep in mind that a child’s footwear should bend or flex where the foot bends.

Also, if your kids wear ill-fitting shoes, you can expect blisters and other structural problems (curling of the toes or having a high arch) to occur. These foot problems will only make a child more susceptible to foot injuries later on.

Apply sunscreen.

You might have plans of going to the beach, or spending time on the water. Wherever you might go, be sure to  have sunscreen lotionready for you and your kids. Most of the time, we only apply sunscreen lotion on our bodies, but you must know that the feet should be protected from the sun, too. At night, you can also apply lotion to their feet to keep them moisturized. Too much exposure to the sun and water might cause their feet to be dry.

Be mindful of changes in their feet.

Children might not be able to easily express any foot ailment that they are feeling, so as their parents, it is your responsibility to keep an eye out for any symptoms or abnormalities. These include limping or blisters, among others. It is a must that all foot conditions be addressed as soon as possible.

Replace footwear occasionally.

Some parents might only change their kids’ shoes when they’re worn out or broken. However, it is important that shoes must be replaced every few months.

If your child is suffering from any foot conditions, it is best that you setup an appointment with Sheldon H. Nadal, D.P.M. He is a foot specialist that can help relieve your children’s foot ailments.