

Other kids think it’s awesome to have cool feet that are unique. When you think your child might be teased, it’s natural to worry, but maybe you don’t have to. But the interesting thing is swimmers can create a web effect by spreading their fingers slightly. You may want to wait until the child can give their opinion about their own feet. Answer (1 of 4): This question has been asked before, and someone with good credentials said no.
#Webbed fingers skin
Also, you’d think separation would be simple, but it’s not because separation surgery requires skin grafts. Syndactyly can also affect the toes, involving webbing of the skin. Despite parents’ understandable concerns, it’s usually not a problem for children learning to balance or walk. Occasionally it may be associated with extra digits or other abnormalities in the hands. Your pediatrician is the best person to answer this, but yes, webbed digits can be corrected. In the case of babies with syndactyly, that process isn’t entirely completed. We do know that during pregnancy, babies’ hands and feet start off looking like tiny Ping-Pong paddles, but around the sixth week, the baby’s digits begin to separate. Sometimes, the condition can be genetic or environmental, and other times it can be a small part of a larger syndrome like Down’s. Please call (844) 41-ORTHO (67846) to make an appointment or learn more.Most people believe that webbed digits are entirely caused by genes, but that’s not exactly the case. We will continue to monitor patients for several years after surgery to make sure that everything is going well. Occupational therapy can also help ensure that your child regains normal hand function. Depending on the severity of the webbing, surgery is usually done when the child is around 2 years old.Īfter surgery, your child will need to wear a cast for several weeks to protect the area. Alternatively, your pediatric hand surgeon may choose to use a synthetic skin graft. A small piece of skin from another part of your child’s body, called a skin graft, will help cover the space between the newly separated fingers. Mild forms of syndactyly may not need treatment, and other types of syndactyly may require surgery to separate the two fingers. Since Ive already posted my SwingCal etiquette lecture, I figured Id post my other most talked about SwingCal lecture (the others Ive given were boring, so Ill spare you). Your child’s doctor may order an x-ray to confirm the diagnosis and see if any other bones in the hands or fingers are involved. This is Webbed Fingers Monday, January 10, 2011. Your child’s doctor will ask about your child’s medical history and do a physical exam. Some cases of syndactyly are genetic, and others happen alongside other hand conditions, such as polydactyly (extra fingers).


Syndactyly happens when the fingers don’t separate fully during this process. In early pregnancy, the baby’s hand first forms in the shape of a paddle and later splits into fingers. The space between the middle and ring fingers is the most common location for syndactyly.

Sometimes, the fingers are joined by skin only (simple syndactyly), and sometimes they can also share bones, tendons, and blood vessels (complex syndactyly). The spaces between two or more fingers may be webbed, and may be connected all the way to the fingertips (complete syndactyly) or only part of the way up the fingers (incomplete syndactyly). Syndactyly-also known as webbed fingers or toes-is a common condition in which a child’s fingers or toes do not separate fully during fetal development.
