Why Are My Baby's Legs Bowed? Is This Permanent? - BabyCenter

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Why are my baby's legs bowed? Is this permanent? David Geller, M.D.

Written by David Geller, M.D. Dad helping infant to walk

Photo credit: iStock.com / Nadezhda1906Most babies are born with curved or bowed legs. This is usually a result of the way they were "packaged" in the uterus. (You can see this if you try to fold your baby back into the position that she was in while inside of you.) When your child starts walking, somewhere between 9 and 17 months, the bones in her legs will start to slowly reform as old bone breaks down and is replaced by new bone in different places where it's now needed to support her weight. Usually within six to nine months of starting to walk, your child will have straighter legs.Advertisement | page continues belowWas this article helpful?

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BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

Boston Children's Hospital. Undated. Bowlegs in children. http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site655/mainpageS655P0.htmlOpens a new window [Accessed December 2016]

MedlinePlus (ADAM). 2014. Bowlegs. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001585.htmOpens a new window [Accessed December 2016]

Nemours Foundation. 2014. Common childhood orthopedic conditions. http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/bones/common_ortho.html#Opens a new window [Accessed December 2016]