What is polydactyly

Polydactyly, as the name suggests, means one or more fingers or toes are extra than normal. This question may sound a bit strange, but in fact, it is a relatively common congenital malformation in medicine. Polydactyly can usually be found when the baby is born. It may exist alone or be accompanied by other diseases or syndromes.

The cause of polydactyly is not completely clear, but research suggests that it may have a lot to do with genetic factors. That is, if one or both parents have polydactyly, their children may also have this condition. Environmental factors may also play a role, such as infection during pregnancy, drug use, or malnutrition.

Polydactyly can manifest in many different ways, the most common of which is an extra little finger next to the thumb or pinky. This extra finger may be complete, with bones, muscles and nerves, or it may just be a lump of flesh with no function. Polydactyly can cause some inconvenience to a child's health and daily life, such as difficulty putting on shoes or feeling inferior because of appearance issues.

Surgery is the main treatment for polydactyly and is usually performed when the child is about one year old. This is because the child's bones and tissues are still developing at this time, and the recovery and functional reconstruction after surgery are better. The complexity of the surgery depends on the structure of the extra finger, and sometimes a joint operation by an orthopedic and plastic surgeon is required.

For parents, the most important thing when they find that their children have polydactyly is to stay calm and seek professional medical advice. Through surgery, most children can restore normal hand function and appearance. At the same time, psychological support is also important to help children build self-confidence and face challenges in life positively.

Although polydactyly may sound scary, it can be treated well in most cases with modern medical methods. I hope this article can help you better understand polydactyly and provide you with some useful information and suggestions.