July 23, 2012 -- More than half of young children who toe walk will stop doing so on their own by about age 5. And most children who are toe walkers will not have any developmental or neuropsychiatric problems, a new study finds.

"Walking is such a notable milestone, and if it is not typical, it is often a concern for parents and physicians," says pediatrician Lee Beers, MD, who practices at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and who reviewed the study for WebMD. It appears in the journal Pediatrics. "This study certainly makes me feel more comfortable when I see toe walking in children who are otherwise developing well."

Toe walking can accompany disorders such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, but it also occurs among children who have no such underlying conditions. In such cases, children are said to be idiopathic toe walkers.

The cause is unknown, lead author Pahr Engstrom, MD, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, says in an email.

It could be related to nerves, muscles, a mixture of both, or another unknown factor, he says.

Prior to this study, the number of children who were idiopathic toe walkers was also unknown.