Bowlegs is a condition in which the knees stay wide apart when a person stands with the feet and ankles together. In children under 18 months, it is considered normal.

Genu varum

Infants are born bowlegged because of their folded position in the uterus. The infant's bowed legs begin to straighten once the child starts to walk and the legs begin to bear weight (about 12 to 18 months old).

By around age 3, the child can usually stand with the ankles apart and the knees just touching. If the bowed legs are still present, the child is called bowlegged.

Bowlegs may be caused by illnesses such as:

• Blount's disease
• Bone dysplasias (abnormal development)
• Fractures that do not heal correctly
• Lead or fluoride poisoning
• Rickets, which is caused by a vitamin D deficiency

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Bowlegs Symptoms

Review Date: 11/12/2010
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)