Advice for Parents

Helping your child grow means facing something new every day, and it is not always easy to make the right choices. Each and every part of baby’s body, in this stage, requires special care and attention, even their feet.

For all these reasons we have developed this Guide, in collaboration with Dr. Franz Grill, Head Physician of the Orthopaedic Hospital of Vienna, to answer some of the most frequently asked questions by parents about feet and how they grow. Because new parents, like their children, take their first steps in a new world.
 

During the summer children should be allowed to walk bare-footed outdoors, on a lawn or sand, as much as possible, since the ground stimulates their feet.

When a child has learnt to walk, foot muscles may also be strengthened by the right exercises: try for example getting your child to walk on tip-toes, to make muscles stronger, or on his heels, to extend muscles. You can also get your child to play with his feet using a handkerchief, a pencil or a ball, or in the case of older children, an elastic band.
 

In babies, massaging tiny feet will help to correct improper posture and foot malformations such as pes adductus. Simulating muscles, rubbing the outer edge of the foot and using the grasping reflexes of the foot may help to correct incorrect posture. Only in the case of more serious problems should the family doctor refer the child to a physiotherapist for appropriate treatment.

In the first year of life remember that your child should wear only socks or shoes with a very soft and supple upper.
To stimulate mobility, place your child on his back and allow him to kick.
Proper shoes should be worn only when baby starts to crawl.

Every 2-3 months check the length of feet making sure that the shoe size is right. Choose only shoes produced with materials of the highest quality. If possible, remove insoles everyday to dry them out.
After the age of 2 or 3, check feet and toenails regularly. Check that your child is walking properly and that there is no deviation of the knee from the longitudinal axis, if so, consult a paediatrician. At about the age of 3 or 4, your child should undergo a complete orthopaedic and podiatric check up. Children should be allowed to use non-specific training shoes only for sports.

Falcotto shoes by Naturino are just designed to prevent specific problems and to allow your children’s feet to move freely with all the support they need to grow.

Falcotto 217	Falcotto 591	Falcotto 279	Falcotto 182	Falcotto 130