UFAI Children's Foot and Ankle Care Articles Archive

From their first hesitant steps, children want to physically play. Moreover, children need active physical play. For children, physical play is as natural as laughter. And it’s just as healthy. In the US, children have countless opportunities to take part in organized sports. Over 21 million kids between the ages of 6 and 17 regularly participate in various programs of read more »

Like most parts of a newborn’s body, your infant’s feet are undeveloped at her time of birth. As she grows and learns to walk, the soft, pliable tissue that structures her feet will solidify into bony tissue in a process known as ossification. Her feet will continue to grow and develop well into her late teens. You can help your read more »

Colin, 11, isn’t like the rest of his family. While his sister and brother are happy to read a book or play indoors on the iPad, Colin is always on his feet.  Between flag football, soccer, and field hockey, “there’s no sport he won’t play,” says his Mom. Even the nagging pain in his heels can’t slow him down. “Doctors read more »

For children, physical play is as natural as breathing. As soon as girls and boys can stand, they are dodging imaginary foes and winning races against invisible competitors – children’s foot injuries. As they grow older, our children are increasingly drawn into organized play, i.e., youth sports. It is estimated that over 35 million children in the United States regularly read more »

Pokemon Go, a new mobile gaming app, has kids and adults alike running from neighborhood to neighborhood, stopping at parks, churches, and other landmarks to heed the irresistible call to “catch ’em all.” The interactive collecting game, developed by Niantic and the Pokemon Company, is delighting its millennial users who remember the characters from after school cartoons, video games, and read more »

With the kickoff of another school year, kids hurry back to school in their shiny new clothes and shoes. Excited to be social again after a long summer with the family, kids are quickly hit with the reality of homework and listening and studying and exams. The bounce in their step sometimes turns into dragging feet. What, now in the read more »

With the kickoff of another school year, kids hurry back to school in their shiny new clothes and shoes.  Excited to be social again after a long summer with the family, kids are quickly hit with the reality of homework and listening and studying and exams.  The bounce in their step sometimes turns into dragging feet.  Sometimes there are other read more »

Your baby’s little piggies will be going to the market, staying home, and crying “wee, wee, wee!” hundreds of times during her childhood. Here are some things you need to know to keep those little piggies healthy and safe. Healthy Newborn Feet When your baby is born, the doctor will perform a neonatal exam to check for abnormalities. In what read more »

Jimmy Buffett, the shepherd of summer vacationers, once famously blew out his flip flop, stepped on a pop top, and cut his heel. Fortunately, a frosty margarita was all it took to nurse the eternal beach bum back to full health, but those of us at University Foot and Ankle Institute would hate for a foot injury to interrupt your read more »

Spring has finally sprung and now there’s another baseball season that is about to begin. Travel leagues are continuing, while spring little league is beginning. Some of our children are playing both and that can lead to problems due to overuse that, as we know from our childhood, can contribute to injuries. In our practice we are already noticing children read more »