title: The prevalence and course of idiopathic toe-walking in 5-year-old children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children walking on their toes instead of with a typical gait, without evidence of an underlying medical condition, are defined as idiopathic toe-walkers. The prevalence of idiopathic toe-walking is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional prevalence study of 5.5-year-old children (n = 1436) living in Blekinge County, Sweden, was performed at the regular 5.5-year visit to the local child welfare center. Children were assessed for a history of toe-walking or whether they still walked on their toes. Additionally, all 5.5-year-old children (n = 35) admitted to the clinic for children with special needs in the county were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1436 children in the cohort (750 boys, 686 girls), 30 children (2.1%, 20 boys and 10 girls) still walked on their toes at age 5.5 years and were considered as active toe-walkers. Forty children (2.8%, 22 boys and 18 girls) had previously walked on their toes but had stopped before the 5.5-year visit and were considered as inactive toe-walkers. At age 5.5 years, the total prevalence of toe-walking was 70 (4.9%) of 1436. For children with a neuropsychiatric diagnosis or developmental delay, the total prevalence for active or inactive toe-walking was 7 (41.2%) of 17.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study establishes the prevalence and- early spontaneous course of idiopathic toe-walking in 5.5-year-old children. At this age, more than half of the children have spontaneously ceased to walk on their toes. The study confirms earlier findings that toe-walking has a high prevalence among children with a cognitive disorder.
authors: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Paediatric Orthopaedics, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. pahr.engstrom@ki.se
authors: Pähr
authors: P
authors: Engström
authors: Kristina
authors: K
authors: Tedroff
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005684:Gait; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013548:Sweden; D014034:Toes; D016138:Walking