Reasons you should not let your kids wear High Heels

 High heels are considered to be a poor foot wear by most health care professionals, as they may lead to bunions, hammer toes and general foot pain. However, it is important to note that these conditions do not happen overnight and are thought to be the result of long-standing high heel use.

From a medical point of view, there is a specific concern with young girls wearing high heels and pointy-toed shoes because their bones are more malleable and can be structurally deformed as they grow.

Simply put, bone growth occurs from a cartilaginous precursor that becomes calcified and hardened. The softer growing bone can be deformed and misshapen by external forces (such as high heels). This is the physiology behind the Chinese foot binding.

Until young girls stop growing, there is a significant risk to cause bone and joint deformations within the foot. Sure heel height, duration of time spent in the heel and frequency of wear are all contributing factors to developing high-heel associated foot problems — but the risks are clear.

From a purely bone-related standpoint, females reach skeletal maturity around age 14. This does not mean that this is the proper age for one to begin wearing high heels, nor am I indicating that high heel wearing is safe at all for young girls and adolescents. When you’re wearing heels, your muscles will be working extra hard. You’re talking about a six-year-old child whose muscles are still developing and you’re putting unusual fatigue on it. The muscles can take the load, but we were not built to wear heels to begin with, or else God would have made us with feet like Barbie dolls.
 

Parents should strongly consider avoiding shoe gear that can have a life-long impact on the foot prior to maturity of the foot. And remember, even after skeletal maturity, the risk of developing foot problems still exists.

Here are some reasons not to let young girls wear Heels:

1.       Bunions: - Children may also develop bunions at an early age. Risk is increased if there is a familial tendency to develop bunions. They may also experience back, calf and leg pain if heels are worn for an extended period.

2.       Bad for the kid’s bones: - Kids don't need back problems, fallen arches, or hammertoe. Especially when their bones are growing and developing.

3.       Copying a fashion trend at a very young age: - This kind of slavish celeb worship should be discouraged at an early age.

4.       Kids don’t need to look tall

5.       It is difficulty in keeping kids from running, which could make those in heels more susceptible to ankle sprains or broken bones.

Toddlers still don’t have the heel strike, foot flat then toe off pattern. They walk on their toes. They do that until they reach about seven years old, when they get the normal gait pattern. When the foot slides forward into the narrow shoe box, it compresses the toes together, and later on those pointy shoes might lead to deformity of the foot.

Source:

THE HUFFINGTON POST