Why is toddler walking on tippy toes

Unfortunately the triumph and pride can turn to concern and worry when a toddler is moving in atypical ways like toe-walking. But a toddler walking on toes is not necessarily in-itself a reason for parents to be on red alert.

There are a number of potential reasons for tip toe walking and only rarely do they relate to larger concerns like autism or cerebral palsy. Babies typically have about six-months of walking practice before they take their first uneasy steps on their own. But they start the process with essentially no control over their foot and ankle, according to Dr. During the practice period, whether it be cruising or holding on to parents hands while stepping, babies will step in whatever way their foot happens to fall.

Some babies my step down heel first. Other babies will stomp around with flat feet. And other babies keep on their tippy toes. Up until just after the first year pretty much all of those modes of stepping are normal. Even for older kids some toe walking may be mixed in with typical walking. That might concern some parents but Dusing encourages her clients to consider the context in which toe-walking occurs. John Hopkins Medicine. Toe walking. Mayo Clinic.

Nemours Foundation. Common childhood orthopedic conditions. Join now to personalize. If she doesn't do it all the time, it's unlikely that it means anything at this age. Most children "toe walk" occasionally when they're cruising moving around a room using various objects for support and when they're first starting to walk , especially if they're walking on a bare floor.

Some kids keep doing it, off and on, just for fun — the same way they try to walk along crosswalk lines or step over cracks in the sidewalk. If your daughter is toe walking consistently, however, talk to her pediatrician. Frequent toe walking can signal several different problems, the most serious of which is cerebral palsy.

If she was born prematurely, you'll want to keep an especially close eye on her because preemies are more prone to the form of cerebral palsy called diplegia, which involves the bottom half of the body. The problem could also be physical: It's not common, but some children have short Achilles tendons, which means it's difficult or impossible for them to walk flat-footed without help.

Treatment of idiopathic toe walking: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Rehabilitative Medicine. Szopa A, et al. Effect of a nonsurgical treatment program on the gait pattern of idiopathic toe walking: A case report. Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management. Does botulinum toxin A treatment enhance the walking pattern in idiopathic toe-walking? Williams CM, et al. Do external stimuli impact the gait of children with idiopathic toe walking?

A study protocol for a within-subject randomised control trial. BMJ Open. Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic.