Interesting Baby Foot Facts

A baby who's just started walking takes 176 steps a minute!

At birth your baby only has 22 out of the full 26 bones in their feet and the remaining few develop slowly throughout childhood, with the whole process finishing at around 16 to 18 years old. That means, baby feet are plumper and softer than adult feet and as such, need to grow and develop in soft, flexible shoes.

To avoid compressing and restricting baby’s feet, it is important to make sure that a baby’s shoes, socks and clothes are loose enough that they are able to move around easily. At least 18mm of growing room should be allowed between the end of the longest toe and the end of the shoe.

Due to the exertion of so much energy when learning to stand and balance, a baby’s foot sweats twice as much as adults! Because of this, it is important to only dress little feet in shoes and socks made of material that is breathable and absorbent. Also, make sure that a baby’s foot is completely dry after bathing.

Growth of babies’ feet is seasonal with faster growth in the warmer months. On average, children’s feet grow 2 full sizes a year until they are four years old. Little feet should be measured monthly the first year, every two months between the ages of 12 months and 24 months, and every 3 months from 24 to 36 months.