Although most puncture wounds do not require treatment, deep wounds or puncture wounds that have gone through the sole of the shoe or sneaker are of particular concern. To prevent deep infection, the wound should be evaluated immediately. Rarely, deep infections of the foot occur without previous injury. Pain, fever, and localized swelling are all signs of infections. If a child develops these signs, the child should be seen and evaluated by the pediatrician or orthopedist.
Foot deformities are among the most common reasons that a parent takes a child to an orthopedist.
Flatfeet especially concern parents and grandparents. Flatfeet are most often a normal variation of the shape of the arch, and in these cases there is no pain and no treatment is necessary. When flatfoot deformities result in stiffness, pain or a hard thickening, the foot should be evaluated by a pediatrician or orthopedist. Clubfoot deformity is a much less common foot problem. At birth, the child's foot is turned down and in.