BABY FEET

 

Babies feet are typically approximately 10 centimetres long at birth and will double in size within the first year. Up until approximately six months of age the foot is softer and more flexible than the adult foot, comprising mostly of cartilage. Children’s feet differ from those of adults. They are not simply a smaller copy of the adult foot. They are an intricate network of ligaments, muscles and joints engineered to carry their owner on average approximately 128,000 kilometres over their lifetime. To put that in perspective on average a baby’s feet will carry their owner over a distance equivalent to approximately three laps of the earth’s equator.

 

 

The only footwear required by babies is a need for socks for warmth. Those should not be constrictive so as to allow feet to grow naturally. With the rate of growth of babies feet as set out above it may be necessary to change the size of baby’s socks every few months during the first year.