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Hi everyone. Buttercup is almost walking. She has taken a few steps (8 to be exact) with her therapist and no finger holding. She hasn't done this at home yet tho. Early Steps is discontinuing her PT becasue they said she is "caught up for her age". Her PT has advised me to get her some Jumping Jack Perfection shoes and to keep her in them for at least one year. OUCH! These shoes are $60.00 per pair. I've only seen them in white-and that doesn't match everything. PLUS ITS HOT AS HE!! in Louisiana and these have to be worn with socks and are high to the ankels. And are so not cute, on top of it! :hissy: And apparently if I see no improvement in the nex 3-6 months then I am to see an outpatient PT to get splints. How in the world am I suppose to know if these shoes are working for her? I know that they can't hand hold me for the rest of her life but this makes me so nervous. Her pediatrician doesn't seem to ever be concerned about ANYTHING. I have always had to be the proactive one to get things done. (this therapist has been fabulous in helping point me in the right direction and advising me when to push them harder for help)I am going to be lost without her help in these areas.
We get no assistance so we will have to pay out of pocket for this...which is not a big deal but if I could find them for less than $60.00 a pair, that would be fabulous. Anyone have any experience in this?
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What is the concern? What is the goal with the special shoes? Is she just a late walker or does she have an issue that needs to be addressed?
Our pedi does not worry about much, but he did refer us to a podiatrist for my son's flat feet, because that will cause issues later on. Some things are addressed just to make things perfect, so it depends on what the goal is as to whether the expensive shoes and all is worth it. My dd is pigeon toed, and correcting her feet would have just been cosmetic and could have changed her gait, so we opted not to do anything, and she is fine.
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Buttercup just turned 1 but she has been with this physical therapist for the last 11 months, 2xs a week. She was born addicted to drugs and alcohol and has an extremely stiff body. (to give a little back ground)
Her feet pronate and her nakles are inverting while her toes want to go outward for stability. And she has no arch at all and sort of drags her feet inward when taking steps. (Pronation is a condition that occurs when your child's feet tilt inward.) Supposedly these shoes will help keep her feet in a good postural alignment. I had to get a clearer explanation this morning so I could properly answer these questions. I know she told me all of that but it was confusing when I was dealing with the baby fussing and her talking at the same time. According to the therapist she will need these sort of shoes for several years to protect her arches and ankles or she could develop feet with lots of problems. She can never wear crocs and all sandals need to have backs on them in the future when she "dresses up".
*the ONLY recommended shoe is the Jumping Jacks Perfection-Model 2012 or 2014 BUT NOT the 2013 for some reason.**
Mommyof3ks
What is the concern? What is the goal with the special shoes? Is she just a late walker or does she have an issue that needs to be addressed?
Our pedi does not worry about much, but he did refer us to a podiatrist for my son's flat feet, because that will cause issues later on. Some things are addressed just to make things perfect, so it depends on what the goal is as to whether the expensive shoes and all is worth it. My dd is pigeon toed, and correcting her feet would have just been cosmetic and could have changed her gait, so we opted not to do anything, and she is fine.
Buddy has similar issues with his feet. He's ataxic as well, so he's still not walking on his own. Buddy's PT recommended having him go barefoot a lot to help build the muscles. We used hi-top shoes with some arch support when letting him walk outside (using his walker). We found Nike's worked out pretty well for him. When he turned three, he was given SMOs (short braces that cover the foot and ankle). [url=http://www.surestep.net/smo.php]Dynamic Stabilizing System |Low Muscle Tone | Pronation |SMO | SureStep[/url] His therapist recommended waiting until he was older because the use of braces can hurt more than it helps with kids learning to walk.
Braces, shoes-alone, and going barefoot all have advantages and disadvantages. Good Luck!
You also asked how to tell if the shoes were working for her. Look at her gait. Are her feet straight? Are her ankles straight? Are her legs in alignment? Does she move easily? How does her gait look in comparison to being barefoot? Is she getting irritation from the shoes? Are the shoes wearing fairly evenly?
One other word of warning. Kids with awkward gaits and foot issues go through shoes -really- fast. The soles will deform which can throw off a child's gait, and you will see strange wear patterns on the shoes. I was pretty annoyed when I spent four hours searching for shoes that would work with Buddy's orthotics, to have them wear out in under two months. These were good quality shoes too!
One more thing. If you go over to the boys section, they have a shiny black and a brown suede. As far as I can tell, it's the exact same shoe.
[url=http://www.jumping-jacks.com/baby-boy-shoes/baby-boy-walker/perfection-18704]Perfection[/url]
[url=http://www.jumping-jacks.com/baby-boy-shoes/baby-boy-walker/perfection-18703]Perfection[/url]
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Buttercups sounds just like baby girl who also just turned 1 at the beginning of the month. However, BG is not walking on her own yet and has just started cruising along the furniture. Our PT has decided to wait a few more months before deciding whether or not to brace BG 's feet. She said that babies develop a lot of foot strength and shape from crawling, and since BG has only been crawling for about 6 weeks she wants to give her more time. Has Buttercups been crawling long? Also, the PT did try taping BG's feet to give her more support, but unfortunately BG has very sweaty feet so the tape came off the next day. I guess it's supposed to last about a week. I noticed that when her feet were taped, she had a much more normal gate. I am worried that she is going to struggle walking on her own because of the severe pronation of her left foot. I'm hoping that a couple more months of crawling will help her feet, but I guess we will just have to wait and see. Our PT did suggest a pair of good structured shoes, so I just bought her a pair of stride rites. Now you have me interested in these Jumping Jack shoes.
minehistheirs
And apparently if I see no improvement in the nex 3-6 months then I am to see an outpatient PT to get splints. How in the world am I suppose to know if these shoes are working for her? I know that they can't hand hold me for the rest of her life but this makes me so nervous. Her pediatrician doesn't seem to ever be concerned about ANYTHING. I have always had to be the proactive one to get things done. (this therapist has been fabulous in helping point me in the right direction and advising me when to push them harder for help)I am going to be lost without her help in these areas.
Is your issue that the shoes are expensive or that they are not cute? My son has similar issues at your daughter's age. He is now 7 and you would NEVER know he had so many problems when he was young. Since the therapist told you to get those shoes; get them. We did everything we were told and went above and beyond. Our son is no longer in any therapies and is one of the top kids in his class!!!
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I found these on Amazon. Not sure if you need specific ones.
[url=http://www.amazon.com/Jumping-Jacks-Toddler-Perfection-Monarch/dp/B000S9DDVQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1405802261&sr=8-3&keywords=Jumping+Jack+Perfection]Amazon.com: Jumping Jacks Infant/Toddler Perfection Monarch T-Strap: Shoes[/url]
[url=http://www.amazon.com/Jumping-Jacks-Toddler-Brown-Shiny/dp/B0026P4BNE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1405802261&sr=8-4&keywords=Jumping+Jack+Perfection]Amazon.com: Jumping Jacks Baby Abby Mary Jane (Toddler): Mary Jane Flats: Shoes[/url]
shy_bear
Is your issue that the shoes are expensive or that they are not cute?
My son has similar issues at your daughter's age. He is now 7 and you would NEVER know he had so many problems when he was young. Since the therapist told you to get those shoes; get them. We did everything we were told and went above and beyond. Our son is no longer in any therapies and is one of the top kids in his class!!!