Flat feet in children is commonly hard to recognize in the early months, since the true shape of the foot is often hidden by baby fat. With the passage of time and as the infant starts walking, the condition becomes clearer.

As the child gets older, a normal arch should appear between four and six years of age, as it is often developed by walking barefoot on bumpy terrain.

This develops tendons, muscles, and ligaments. If a normal arch fails to appear during this stage of development, then it may be necessary to investigate using orthotic insoles to prevent lower body or back issues from occurring in later years.

You can test if a foot arch is developing is by using a wet blotter. With this method, you create a footprint of your child's damp foot on colored paper.

Then you check if the foot arch leaves a noticeable gap. You can also do this on a beach, or in a sandbox by inspecting the footprint, though the test with the blotter is much more telling.

Another symptom of flat feet is if the child complains about aches to his or her calf muscles or ankles after walking for a period of time, as flat feet in youth can cause extra strain on calves and ankles to offset the lack of foot arches.

In some cases, a child may walk on the outer edges of his feet, and this is often mistaken for bowleggedness, when in reality it is a consequence of over-pronation caused by flat feet.

The excessive rolling inwards of the ankles and feet, also known as pronation, and resulting collapse of the arches- is found in up to 70% of the population.

Over a period of time, excessive pronation will also cause back problems in addition to foot pain, and also leg problems. Many people do not realize how correct foot, leg and back alignment are interrelated, and it is important to remedy any foot problems such as flat feet in youth to prevent further damage to other lower body parts.

It is advisable to identify flat feet in youth as soon as possible to prevent the resulting problems later in life. It is possible for adults of any age to develop flat fee, though in many cases it is considered as a normal part of aging.

Flat feet can be brought about for reasons such as pregnancy, injury, or illness, and can be temporary or permanent, depending on the reason. Excessive weight-bearing can also cause flat feet in children or adults.

Foot problems such as flat feet in youth can be corrected to prevent serious complications like plantar fascia pain and avoid damage to other lower body parts. A good measure of prevention is through the use of orthotic insoles.

A podiatrist (foot specialist) should be able to study the symptoms and advise suitable treatment, which could include orthotic insoles or foot exercises, according to your particular situation. In many cases, off-the-shelf orthotic insoles products available on the Internet or at retail stores, can produce excellent results, without the need for expensive custom-made orthotic shoe insoles or other aids available via prescription.

The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to flat feet in youth is that early detection can avoid many serious complications to other body parts such as the knees and lower back over time. It is easy to treat flat feet in youth through readily available and affordable orthotic insoles.