Pediatric Bunions

Many children are born with bunions, but at what point is it important for you to seek help for your child? A bunion is a bump that is on the inside part of your big toe. It is a result of one bone bending in one direction and another bone bending in the other. As a result, your bones form an angle to one another and the point of this angle causes a bump. The more that the bones bend away from one another, the greater this bump will become. As this happens, the pressure on this part of the foot will increase when your child is wearing a shoe and can cause the bump to become red and painful.

 In most children, they do not have any pain or problems with their bunions, and so as a result you really don’t need to do anything about them. Unless your child is experiencing pain or discomfort, it is not necessary to correct the bunion. However, if the bunion should begin to cause your child discomfort, then it is necessary to take the proper steps to alleviate the pain. There are several different options depending on the type of bunion that your child has. Noninvasive treatment is always considered first. Some possibilities are orthoses, shoe modifications and padding. Orthoses can be either custom made for the individual or they can be made for an average foot type. The ones for the average foot type are less expensive but they do not work for everyone, whereas a custom orthoses is made for the individual person.

In some children, the bunion will be severe enough that they require surgery. This is typically necessary in children that have a bunion that is progressing rapidly or in children that their bunion is causing them a great amount of discomfort. Surgeries for pediatric bunions need to be put off for as long as possible to prevent the bunion from coming back. Bunions in children have a high recurrence due to them still growing. If you and your child live in the North Andover, Bradford, Lowell, Tewksbury, or Methuen Massachusetts area, and your child has a bunion, our office staff would be more than happy to help you and your child decide on the best treatment plan.