Toe walking in children

Walking on the toes or the balls of the feet is fairly common in children who are just beginning to walk. This is known as toe walking. Most children outgrow it.

Kids who continue toe walking beyond the toddler years often do so out of habit. As long as the child is growing and developing as expected, toe walking is not likely to be a cause for concern.

Toe walking sometimes can result from certain conditions, including cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and autism spectrum disorder.

Toe walking is walking on the toes or the balls of the feet.

If your child is still toe walking after age 2, talk to your healthcare professional about it. Make an appointment sooner if your child also has tight leg muscles, stiffness in the Achilles tendon or a lack of coordination.

Generally, toe walking is a habit that develops when a child learns to walk. Rarely, toe walking is caused by an underlying condition, such as:

• A short Achilles tendon. This tendon links the lower leg muscles to the back of the heel bone. If it's too short, it can prevent the heel from touching the ground.
• Cerebral palsy. Toe walking can be a symptom. Cerebral palsy is a group of conditions that affect movement and posture. It's caused by damage that occurs to the developing brain, most often before birth.
• Muscular dystrophy. Toe walking sometimes occurs in this genetic disease in which muscle fibers are unusually prone to damage and weaken over time. This diagnosis might be more likely if your child initially walked as expected before starting to toe walk.
• Autism spectrum disorder. Toe walking has been linked to autism spectrum disorder, which affects a child's ability to communicate and interact with others.

Toe walking out of habit, also known as idiopathic toe walking, sometimes runs in families.

Constant toe walking can cause lasting changes to the structure of the foot and increase a child's risk of falling. It also can result in a social stigma.