Why Are My Baby’s Toes Curled? – 7 Genuine Reasons

Baby’s toes are adorable. That’s why you love playing with your baby’s toes; your baby loves it too. Your little one will respond to your touch by moving his toes, you may also notice how those tiny toes curl and uncurl as they are touched. 

Since you’re sensitive to changes around your baby, you may begin to ask yourself, why are my baby’s toes curled? Is it normal for babies’ toes to curl or should I be worried about it?

These concerns are expected from every caring mom and you are not alone. Read on to learn about why are my baby’s toes curled, when to be worried, and what you can do to help your baby.

Why Are My Baby’s Toes Curled And What Does It Mean?

Curled toes are a congenital condition, present from birth, and are common among infants and children. It describes a toe with a flexion contraction which causes it to flex and bend under the adjacent toe. 

Toe curls in babies because the tendons that bend the toes are too tight and pull one toe under the next one—curling it underneath the feet. 

Curled toes are sometimes referred to as underlapping toes since the affected toe curls under the next toes. Parents may not notice that their baby’s toes are curled until he or she begins to walk.  

The third and fourth toes of both feet are the most common curled in babies with the pinky toe being the least affected. Curled toes in babies often correct themselves without treatment. 

Why Are My Baby’s Toes Curled And What Are The Causes

Why are my baby’s toes curled? It is uncertain what causes curled toes in babies. But, most research attests that it’s family-oriented. The condition is known to run in families and may be passed on from parent to child. 

Also, It is thought that the flexor tendons that attach underneath a baby’s toes and help keep the toes straightened are overly tight. 

In some cases, having a toe bone more triangular than a rectangular shape can increase the risks of curled toes in babies. Children with overly flexible joints or joint hypermobility may also be affected. 

If the baby’s curled toes remain supple and flexible they will continue to be curled but would not result in a problem. Oftentimes, curled toes can become fixed as the joint capsule becomes tightened, but there is no evidence to prove this condition can cause discomfort to a child. 

Symptoms That Show Baby’s Toes Curled

In many cases, babies with curled toes do not show any symptoms as it doesn’t affect the baby’s well-being. While babies throwing their legs up and down in sleep isn’t a symptom of baby curled toes, some babies might experience any of the following symptoms:

1. Flattening or Thickening Of Toenails 

The flattening of toenails can be linked to Koilonychia, a deformity that affects the shape of nails. While your baby’s flattened toenails might not be linked to koilonychia, it could be a sign of curled toes. 

Toenails should be fairly thin and lie flat; if you notice that your baby’s toes are getting curved and appear distorted as a result of pressure, it’s a sign your baby has curled toes. 

2. Sores And Blisters From The Pressure

A blister or sore is a raised area of skin that contains a watery liquid inside. Pressure and rubbing on the feet can lead to blisters or sores. Your baby may develop blisters and sores around the toes that are curled.

3. Constant Rubbing Of Toes

Babies aggressively rubbing their faces is a common way babies communicate discomfort and pain. Likewise, If you notice your baby constantly rubs his toes against each other, don’t ignore it—it’s a sign your baby’s toes are curled and might be making your baby uncomfortable. 

4. Difficulties Wearing Some Styles of Shoes

You are less likely to notice this when your baby is much younger as experts recommend that barefoot is still best for your baby’s foot development. Also, a pair of socks is fine for your baby’s toes.

Unfortunately, your baby’s curled toes might cause difficulties when your little one starts walking and needs to wear a certain style of shoes for protection. 

5. Corns On Baby’s Toes

Corns are areas of thick, hard skin. They typically look like a soft yellow skin ring surrounding a hard, gray center. 

Corns often form on the tops of the toes or in between toes, and they can hurt. As a result, your baby might be uncomfortable and frequently cry when the pain gets worse.

Due to pressure from the other toes, which occurs when the toes rub against each other repeatedly, adjacent toes may develop corns.

6. Pain And Discomfort During Activities

Does your baby respond with pain and show discomfort when you touch his toes? If yes, you might want to take a closer look at his toes to see if your baby’s toes are curled and how severe it is at the moment. Study the response of your baby when his toes are touched during play, bathing, or crawling.

My Baby’s Toes Curled, Does It Require Treatment?

Your baby would not require treatment for curled toes if there are no severe symptoms. There is a potential for alignment of curled toes in babies as they begin to grow even before age five. 

To help ease the worries you may have when your baby’s toes are curled, you can utilize simple non-surgical measures such as stretching, taping, or wearing shoes with extra space across the toes.

However, if your baby’s toes curl and you notice it causes your baby pain, a surgical approach is required. This involves a simple procedure under an anesthetic. 

My Baby’s Toes Curled, Is This Anything To Worry About?

You might be worried about your baby’s well-being, especially as a first-time mom when you notice your baby’s toes curled for the first time. However, rest assured that curled toes do not cause any pain or discomfort in infants. 

It is common in babies and does not require treatment except in case of severe symptoms. It is uncommon for curled toes to cause problems in babies as 25% of the curled toes are resolved by the child’s first birthday.

In most cases, babies’ curled toes will spontaneously resolve by the age of five, although most parents are vexed by the appearance and can not wait that long. 

Pain caused when a baby’s toes are curled is one factor that can affect a baby’s sleep. As a result, some parents might want to use ways to manage a toddler who wakes up too early to resolve their baby’s sleep difficulties. 

However, what is best for your baby at such a time is for you to contact your baby’s doctor immediately. 

When a baby’s curled toes result in pain, discomfort, and blisters around the toes, you should not hesitate to call the podiatrist immediately as your baby’s condition might require surgery.

How Are Curled Toes Diagnosed?

If you’re unsure that your baby’s toes are curled and need urgent treatment, you could book a diagnosis with your podiatrist. 

During the diagnosis, your podiatrist will take a medical history of your baby and complete a physical examination.

The assessment carried out is likely to include: 

• Foot posture assessment

• Joint flexibility and motion

• Assessment of socks fit and the fit of baby jumpsuits with enclosed toes

How Can A Baby Curled Toes Be Treated?

Baby’s feet differ from that of adults. Their foot bone is mostly cartilaginous making it soft, flexible, and malleable. Possible treatments for a baby’s curled toes include:

1. Stretching Of Baby’s Curled Toes

Stretching out your baby’s toes is a quick way to correct the deformity over time. Passive stretching of the affected toe by the parent several times daily has been indicated as a type of treatment. This can be done daily as part of your baby’s bedtime or bathtime routine.

2. Splinting And Taping Of Toes

You can try the taping method when your baby’s toes are curled. Some doctors and physiotherapists advise taping and splinting over many months to realign the toes into a corrective position while others oppose the effectiveness of this method.

3. Avoid Tight Clothing

You should avoid wearing jumpsuits with enclosed feet or tight socks for your baby with curled toes as this may reinforce the deformity. The best you can do for your baby is to keep his toe free from every discomfort, tight clothing included.

4. Use A Toe Spacer

Toe spacers are made from silicon or gel material. Spacers are a way of passively realigning your baby’s curled toes back into their natural position. 

They come in different sizes and shapes and conform to your baby’s toes to separate them so they do not overlap. They work to release the pressure your baby might be feeling and realign the toes where needed.

Perhaps, you’re unsure about getting a toe spacer for your baby, Natural Footgear explains in detail at what age kids can start wearing a toe spacer.

5. Gentle Massage

Gentle stretching alone or combined with other treatments can assist in straightening your child’s toes. If after a week or two you still don’t see any improvement, try toe stretchers or the taping technique.

6. Exercise

You can learn stretching techniques from a podiatrist to keep your baby’s overlapping toes flexible. Make sure you adhere to the instructions given to avoid causing your baby pain and discomfort while at it. 

7. Surgery

Not all curled toes need surgery. But If curled toes lead to severe or continuous pain or make it different to wear a certain shoe style, corrective orthopedic surgery may be considered. Visit your doctor for detailed guidelines on how to go about the procedure. 

My Baby’s Toes Curled, Does My Baby Need Surgery?

As a concerned mom, you might begin to wonder if your baby needs surgery when you notice your baby’s toes are curled. Surgery is recommended in a few cases when baby-curled toes are causing severe symptoms such as ongoing pain, blisters, or rubbing. 

This involves a minor operation under a general anesthetic to get your baby’s toes back in shape. The surgical procedure involves releasing the tight tendon causing the toes to curl through a small scar placed in the skin crease underneath the toes.

My Baby Needs Surgery, Should I Be Worried?

You have nothing to worry about as a mom if your baby’s toes are curled and need surgery. The surgical operation is usually successful and it helps to relieve symptoms of pain, rubbing, blisters and sores your baby may be experiencing from the curled toes.

In a few cases, despite releasing the tight tendon, some toes do remain curled. However, if there is a continuous symptom, a more definitive surgery may be performed to fix the toe straight later on. 

Risks Involved In A Curled Toe Surgery

All surgical operations involve a certain level of risk, and curled toe surgery is no exception. The main risk in a few cases is infection and nerve injury which can cause numbness of the toes. 

Loss of blood supply to the toes is extremely rare and not something to expect during your baby’s operation.

Aftercare For Your Baby After Surgery

It is important to elevate the foot of your baby on a pillow for 12 hours after the operation to help the swelling settle and to aid healing. Crutches might not be needed to move around except for older kids, particularly at school. 

Oftentimes, physiotherapy is helpful to strengthen the foot, ankle, and calf. Also, avoid any activities that might cause stress on the affected foot. 

It’s expected you go see your baby’s doctor after 2 weeks of the operation, but you should not hesitate to visit your doctor if complications occur before two weeks. 

Conclusion

Curled toes are common in newborns. The condition causes no pain or discomfort in infants and most curled toes spontaneously resolve before age five. 

If you’re still concerned about why your baby’s toes curled, stay calm and study the condition over a few days and see if your baby is affected in any way. If yes, you should go see your baby’s doctor for further guidelines and treatment. 

Likewise, In situations where your baby is comfortable, yet you are worried by the appearance, it is okay to ease your worries by contacting your baby’s doctor.