After birth, many parents keep a diary of physical development. In the first year of life, this is especially important. The volume of the head, chest, weight and body length are very significant indicators. But such a criterion as foot size plays an important role in assessing the growth of the baby. To make it more convenient to monitor the formation of the foot, standards have been developed that indicate the size of the child’s legs for months.
Why do I need to measure the baby's leg
Experts believe that the points responsible for each organ in the human body are concentrated in the feet. Therefore, the future health depends on the proper development of the child’s foot. No wonder orthopedists are not tired of telling their young parents that many problems with small and large joints arise due to oversight or improperly selected shoes.
But besides shoes, the genes of parents influence the development of the legs. If you notice a developing deviation in time, you can prevent many diseases. Of course, not all genetic diseases can be cured, but the sooner they are discovered, the more likely negative consequences can be minimized.
To help specialists and parents, special tables have been developed that indicate the size of the child’s feet by months in centimeters.
Features of the development of the child's legs
In newborns, the feet have been preparing for upright posture for almost a year. Initially, they have a lot of cartilage. By the year the baby begins to take his first steps, his feet receive an additional incentive to develop, as constant exercise in walking stimulates the nerve endings.
The size of a child’s feet by months can be found from the average statistics, which can allow a few centimeters of error. Therefore, it is not worth worrying so much that the child does not fit into his age category. Maybe this is his feature.
In the first few years of life, the baby’s foot has a flexible, supple structure. All joints and muscles are in the process of formation. Therefore, up to twelve years, it is worth paying attention to the development of the foot and gait. After this age, the foot, although still growing, is more like an adult.
Measurement table
To control and verify the formation of the legs, parents are advised to monitor the size of the foot. To make it more convenient to monitor growth, in the first years you should consult the recommendations, which indicate the size of the child’s legs for months. The table is in centimeters. The first year is scheduled on a monthly basis, then in the table the gradation goes by year.
It is best to take as a basis a table designed for children without gender. This approach will be more correct, since not all girls have a miniature leg, and boys are large. There are always exceptions.
According to the results of the observations, it was found that the baby’s foot in the first few years can grow by 4-6 centimeters, that is, the increase is 2-3 centimeters per year. From the age of three, the foot grows by 1-1.5 cm. And in subsequent years, it will be extended by an average of 1 cm per year.
The size of the child’s legs for months can be recorded in the diary of crumbs. In many ways, it depends on nutrition, physical activity, and genetic predisposition.
What to look for
When the baby’s leg begins to grow actively, the first difficulty appears - the choice of shoes. In order to choose the right shoes for a baby up to a year, it is necessary to compare the inscriptions on their soles and legs according to age. For example, a baby’s foot size of 6 months should be about 10.5 centimeters. When making a purchase and taking into account possible difficulties with fitting, you can turn to existing standards for help.
If you know the foot size of an 8-month-old baby who is also starting to try walking, it’s best to look for manufacturers' shoes that adhere to generally accepted standards. This will allow, thanks to the correspondence tables, to choose suitable shoes without involving a baby.
How to measure a child’s foot
To correctly take measurements of the baby’s legs, you need to have a soft tape with markings in centimeters on hand. If the child is still very small, then you should take a measurement from the most protruding finger to the base of the heel. When he knows how to stand and walk, it’s better to measure the leg on the floor.
Put the baby’s foot on a sheet of paper and circle it with a pen or felt-tip pen. Then measure with a ruler the distance from the heel to the big toe and find a similar indicator in the table where the size of the baby’s legs is shown for months.
It is better to measure the foot in the evening: at the end of the day, the legs are poured and become a little larger. Therefore, it is better to do in the evening. In addition, all people have one foot a little longer than the other. In a child, this feature is also observed. To make the data more accurate, the necessary measurements of both legs should be made.
What measurements are needed when choosing shoes
When calculating the size of the children's foot, a simple formula is used: the measured foot length in centimeters + the margin of a small displacement of the leg during movement + the margin for growth. Usually between adjacent shoe sizes the difference is only 0.5-1 cm.
It is only necessary to measure the leg while standing, in this position the foot acquires a natural position: it is straightened and has all points of support.
There is such a characteristic as fullness or lifting shoes. Children's shoes are usually produced without taking into account this parameter, unified. Velcro, shoelaces, elastic inserts allow you to adjust the rise of shoes, sneakers in order to more secure fixation.
The size of the children's foot, of course, is impossible to program. But to observe the growth of the foot and the correct development of the legs is quite real. The norms established by specialists are not a task for execution. But the development of the child within them will help to be sure that the baby grows without deviations.
Some pathologies can be indicative of various serious diseases. If you pay attention to the development of the foot in time, you can prevent many serious problems. It is almost impossible to correct genetic abnormalities, but modern medicine is quite capable of controlling them.