question for medical professionals about feet

In ,
Cathy Weeks wrote:

*toto wrote in message . ..
*
* I don't have any medical information to back me up, but I found
* nothing online to suggest that children have less sweat glands in
* their feet than adults do.
*
*My 19 month old gets sweaty feet, and after a day of wearing shoes and
*socks her feet are stinky, too.
*
*I suspect it's because adults are more likely to have foot fungus than
*kids.

Is that actually true?

--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large

(Hillary Israeli) wrote in message ...

*I suspect it's because adults are more likely to have foot fungus than
*kids.

Is that actually true?

Hmmm...now that you mention it, I'm not sure. However, my anecodotal
knowledge supports it (I know, I know, that's no support at all). I've
never heard of a little kid with foot fungus, but I've known many
adults (myself included) who have had it, and been treated for it.

Cathy Weeks
Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01

"Hillary Israeli" wrote in message
...
OK, this is stupid, but I really am curious about what those of you on
"the human side" think of this, because I think it's absurd but what do I
know about people's feet?

At our local Gymboree Play and Music center, staff encourages the children
(age 0-4 years) to run barefoot on the mats and equipment, because it
helps them from slipping and it is easier to climb and so forth. However,
"due to complaints from some of the parents," it was recently made
mandatory that *adults* wear socks in the playroom. So the children are
barefoot, but the adults wear socks. I asked what the point of that was,
and was informed that "the kid's feet don't have any sweat glands, so it's
not a problem for them to be barefoot, but the adult's feet sweat, so it's
not good for them to be barefoot." I asked if they had consulted a medical
professional about this and was informed that yes, an RN gave them the
information which helped them to formulate their new policy.


First of all - (Geeze, I know I am going to get flamed for this - bit I'll
say it anyway) - They asked an RN? Now, I think I have a lot of respect for
nurses. My mother is one. This is not the type of question nurses are
trained to answer (which would account for the answer they got). It is not a
matter of which professional knows more as much as that not all medical
professionals have the same areas of expertise.

I have always been suspicious of the "no shirt, no shoes, no service" types
of rules. With the exception of athlete's foot in showers I am not aware of
diseases that are passed in this way. Personally, I would think it would
make a heck of a lot more sense to make people wear gloves. Also, I doubt
the socks are serving as any type of barrier to what is on the adult's
feet - sweat, fungus, or otherwise. If they feel the need to be
ultra-hygienic it would make more sense to mandate that adults wear soft
soled shoes rather than socks. Besides, as you point out, there is a
liability issue with forcing people to wear slippery footwear.

As for the nurse's comments - as several here have pointed out - of course
kid's feet sweat. (S)he was being just plain silly. If they want an expert
opinion they should ask a dermatologist or infectious disease specialist
about the hazards of being exposed to bare feet in a dry (i.e. non-shower)
environment.

--
CBI

"Marijke" wrote in message
...
they *said* that they asked an RN.

Marijke

That thought occured to me too. I just didn't want to be the one to say it.

--
CBI

"CBI" wrote in message ...

First of all - (Geeze, I know I am going to get flamed for this - bit I'll
say it anyway) - They asked an RN? Now, I think I have a lot of respect for
nurses. My mother is one. This is not the type of question nurses are
trained to answer (which would account for the answer they got). It is not a
matter of which professional knows more as much as that not all medical
professionals have the same areas of expertise.

Very true. When my podiatrist diagnosed my athlete's foot, he also
thought I had Raynaud's syndrome, and perhaps lupus. As a podiatrist,
he sees a lot of Raynaud's (a autoimmune disorder involving the
circulation of the extremeties), but not being either a Rhumatologist
or a neurologist, or even a general practitioner, he really didn't
know much about it. As it turned out, I don't have Raynaud's or lups
(just poor circulation - my toes turn grey when I sit on certain kinds
of chairs, and exam tables), and when I read up on lupus, all I could
think of was "this doesn't sound like me at all". In fact, the lupus
foundation page has 10 questions, and if you answer, I think 4 of them
yes, then they think you should be tested. The only one that I
answered yes to was "are you sun sensitive" (I'm fair skinned, freckly
with auburn hair..duh)

When I went in to my primary doctor for testing due to suspected
Raynauds, I relayed the podiatrists concerns, then told her about my
research, and her answer? "You probably know more about lupus at the
moment, than he does."

As for the nurse's comments - as several here have pointed out - of course
kid's feet sweat. (S)he was being just plain silly. If they want an expert
opinion they should ask a dermatologist or infectious disease specialist
about the hazards of being exposed to bare feet in a dry (i.e. non-shower)
environment.

When I read the OP note, I also thought "RN? What do RNs know about
foot diseases?" Here's an example where I think a Podiatrist would
know a great deal.

But...I'm not sure that Hillary will have much effect on changing the
minds of the establishment.

Cathy Weeks
Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01

In ,
Cathy Weeks wrote:

*When I read the OP note, I also thought "RN? What do RNs know about
*foot diseases?" Here's an example where I think a Podiatrist would
*know a great deal.

True. To clarify, they didn't say they ASKED an RN exactly. They said that
an RN is the one who told them this stuff. For all I know the RN offerred
the information without having been asked!

*But...I'm not sure that Hillary will have much effect on changing the
*minds of the establishment.

Oh ye of little faith...

--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large

In ,
Hillary Israeli wrote:

*In ,
*Cathy Weeks wrote:
*
**When I read the OP note, I also thought "RN? What do RNs know about
**foot diseases?" Here's an example where I think a Podiatrist would
**know a great deal.
*
*True. To clarify, they didn't say they ASKED an RN exactly. They said that
*an RN is the one who told them this stuff. For all I know the RN offerred
*the information without having been asked!
*

OK, here's the deal. The owner of this gymboree franchise is an RN. I
spoke to her. She has no idea why staff was claiming the sock rule was for
medical reasons. She said that she and the owners of the other nearby
franchises all decided that they and their teachers are sick and tired of
staring at ugly grown-up feet and therefore they were requiring people to
wear socks once they are past the cute little feet stage of life.

--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large

Hillary Israeli wrote:

OK, here's the deal. The owner of this gymboree franchise is an RN. I
spoke to her. She has no idea why staff was claiming the sock rule
was for medical reasons. She said that she and the owners of the
other nearby franchises all decided that they and their teachers are
sick and tired of staring at ugly grown-up feet and therefore they
were requiring people to wear socks once they are past the cute
little feet stage of life.

Well, at least they are honest, if shallow. Can you go barefoot if you
promise to get a pedicure before going to class?

--
iphigenia
www.tristyn.net

In article , says...

In ,
Hillary Israeli wrote:

*In ,
*Cathy Weeks wrote:
*
**When I read the OP note, I also thought "RN? What do RNs know about
**foot diseases?" Here's an example where I think a Podiatrist would
**know a great deal.
*
*True. To clarify, they didn't say they ASKED an RN exactly. They said that
*an RN is the one who told them this stuff. For all I know the RN offerred
*the information without having been asked!
*

OK, here's the deal. The owner of this gymboree franchise is an RN. I
spoke to her. She has no idea why staff was claiming the sock rule was for
medical reasons. She said that she and the owners of the other nearby
franchises all decided that they and their teachers are sick and tired of
staring at ugly grown-up feet and therefore they were requiring people to
wear socks once they are past the cute little feet stage of life.

You should have given her a long studying look, smiled sympathetically, and told
her of the benefits to all should she go into purdah...

Jees..

Banty

"Hillary Israeli" wrote in message
...
OK, here's the deal. The owner of this gymboree franchise is an RN. I
spoke to her. She has no idea why staff was claiming the sock rule was for
medical reasons. She said that she and the owners of the other nearby
franchises all decided that they and their teachers are sick and tired of
staring at ugly grown-up feet and therefore they were requiring people to
wear socks once they are past the cute little feet stage of life.

What a repugnant answer. I am truly ashamed that such a body-negative excuse
came from someone in the nursing profession.

If these "teachers" are tired of "staring at ugly grown-up feet," then don't
stare at them. Stare instead at the children, who (I would assume) should be
their primary concern in any case.

Or, even better, simply grow up. The beauty of parents interacting with
their children should more than compensate for their "ugly, grown-up" feet.


Bill
--
Bill Peckenpaugh
Director, Public Relations
Oregon Student Nurses' Association
http://www.oregonsna.org/