Turned in feet
Despite all the kicking, crawling and 'walking' movements that you felt while carrying your baby, your 'human baby' (unlike many animals) is not likely to get up and walk soon after birth. It will take most babies anywhere from 10 to 18 months to master the skill of walking, and most babies will look quite bandy (or bowed) legged, up until about 2 - 3 years of age. Bandy leggedness is caused by the position of the baby's legs while inside their mother's uterus, and is not a problem, nor caused by a baby walking too early.
Turned in feet
It is very common for babies to have a foot (or feet) that turn in slightly. This is generally caused from the way they were lying curled up, in the confined space of their mother's belly. If the foot (or feet) turns in, but can be gently moved fully in all directions, then more often than not it will correct itself after a while, and be normal by the time the baby walks.
Sometimes, if the feet are very turned in, the
paediatrician or
physiotherapist may show you some simple exercises, to encourage the muscles in the foot to be more flexible, and straighten. One exercise is to run your fingernail along the outside of the baby's foot (from the heel to the toe, or visa versa). This triggers a natural reflex in the baby to turn their foot out. You could do this at every feed for instance.
Image 11-77 shows a newborn baby girl with one foot turned in.
In rare circumstances, the feet (or foot) can be turned in due to a malformation in the muscles and tendons of the baby's feet and ankles. This is known as 'talipes', or the lay term is 'club feet'. The cause of talipes is unknown, and the foot (or feet) usually has limited free movement, resisting pressure when you try to move it into the correct position.