Two Year Old Uneven Gait
Dear Dr. Susan:
My 2-1/2 year old has recently gone through a growth spurt and she is now clumsy and doesn’t seem to be able to run well, in fact, she almost seems like there is a slight waddle in the way she walks. Is it possible that during the growth spurt something has grown at an uneven rate in her hips or legs? If so, will this correct itself? I am a nurse and have mentioned this to my daughter’s doctor and I think he tends to believe that I am just over analyzing. I have looked at her legs and buttocks and they all seem even and symmetrical and my daughter says that she is not in any pain. Thank you for your time.
Cherry
Dear Cherry:
Thank you for visiting the website, I hope you found it to be a useful site. Regarding your question, pediatricians often feel that children 2-1/2 – 5 years of age have very uneven physical growth patterns and that is basically the case. Parents however are the experts when it comes to their own child’s development, especially motor development since it is most obvious and observable of all developmental areas. An uneven gate can mean that she is using a pelvic tilt or her hip flexors move more than she did as a toddler. You can minimize stress in these areas by insisting she sit with her legs crossed or to one side or the other, rather than in a “w” position. The split up sitting is common but not a good idea. If you ever entertain a notion that the problem is more than this, do take her to the orthopedic just to be safe! Generally speaking, hip socket dislocations are nothing to treat lightly although the possibility is quite small.
Thanks again.
Susan H. Turben, Ph.D.
