Extra finger - polydactyly

[tetamam]

Hello to all.

I am mother to 4 month - old boy with y shaped polydactyly(extra finger) on his left
hand.
I am looking for any information about this.
I have so many question to ask. May be there is forum of people with
same problem. May be you can give me some advises.

I just am very scared mom.

Thanks. Mamma to 4 month old boy with polydactyly.

[toto]

On 8 Jul 2003 14:32:18 -0700, (tetamam) wrote:

>Hello to all.
>
>I am mother to 4 month - old boy with y shaped polydactyly(extra finger) on his left
>hand.
>I am looking for any information about this.
>I have so many question to ask. May be there is forum of people with
>same problem. May be you can give me some advises.
>
>I just am very scared mom.
>
>Thanks. Mamma to 4 month old boy with polydactyly.

This is a pretty rare condition, but many babies with the syndrome
have no other symptoms

http://www.drgreene.com/21_357.html

Polydactylism is reported in about 2 per 1000 children. However,
many of the simpler cases are taken care of in the nursery by the
obstetrician or pediatrician and don't show up in these statistics.

An extra finger or toe may be nothing more than a nubbin of soft
tissue with no bone involvement, it may be a full digit that forks
off one of the five normal long bones of the hand or foot, or it
may be a complete extra digit with its own extra long bone in
the hand or foot -- or almost any variation between these
possibilities.

The most common form of polydactyly is a small, soft, extra
finger that contains no bone. Many of these can be easily
treated at birth by the attending physician who ties a suture
tightly around the base. The extra digit falls off, and the
normal-appearing hand or foot heals quickly.

If there might be bone in the extra digits, X rays should be
obtained to give a clear picture of what is going on. In some
instances, it is still difficult to decide which digit should be
removed, and close observation of the function of the hands
and feet as they develop can give the answer.

Complex polydactyly is usually not repaired until a child is one
year old. Generally, the digit that is best aligned with the long
bones is saved. When the other digit is removed, sometimes
transferring tendons from the amputated digit will make the
one that remains more normal. Sometimes a joint needs to
be reconstructed, or a bony prominence shaved. If the case
is complex, an orthopedic or plastic surgeon with expertise
in hands and feet is preferred. Usually the results are excellent.

Probably your pediatrician can help with whatever screenings
for associated problems might be needed. Also, you may
want to check with your parents and your husband's parents
as to whether you had the condition since it appears to be
hereditary and many adults don't remember having had it
because it is repaired so early. If you had it yourself, then
you will be reassured about the baby's prognosis, I think.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..
Outer Limits

[Astromum]

tetamam wrote:
> I am looking for any information about this.
> I have so many question to ask. May be there is forum of people with
> same problem. May be you can give me some advises.
>
> I just am very scared mom.

First off: don't be scared. There is little harm in this disorder
besides an extra finger or toe (to some extend). My father, who
is a dentist, once told me than in some cases, also teeth are
multiplied. This is pretty much harmless, but it can become a
problem when the child gets his/her permanent teeth.

However, keep in mind that I am no expert on this. I advice you
to consult your own dentist or pediatrician on this to be sure
and to discuss future treatment. I know it is often hereditary,
so perhaps you can ask around in the immediate family if someone
else has experience with it.

--
-- Ilse
mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
TTC #2
"What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD

[Cathy Weeks]

(tetamam) wrote in message >...
> Hello to all.
>
> I am mother to 4 month - old boy with y shaped polydactyly(extra finger) on his left
> hand.
> I am looking for any information about this.
> I have so many question to ask. May be there is forum of people with
> same problem. May be you can give me some advises.

I think it's no big deal. The American actor/comedian Bill Cosby has
an extra finger on each hand. I had a teacher as a kid who was born
with an extra finger on each hand, but his parents had it removed, so
you could barely even tell.

Cathy Weeks
Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01

[Caroline B.]

>
> I think it's no big deal. The American actor/comedian Bill Cosby has
> an extra finger on each hand.
>
> Cathy Weeks
> Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01

Where does this information come from? I've watched Bill Cosby for
years and never noticed extra fingers, and I just searched for some
pictures and his hands look like they have five fingers each.

[H Schinske]

wrote:

>there were hand-prints of famous people up on the
>wall. Bill Cosby was one, and I distinctly remember seeing an extra
>finger. It's entirely posssible that he had them removed, though. I
>suppose it's also possible that I'm remembering wrong, but it doesn't
>seem likely.

Seems to me like a typical bit of humor on his part. It would be quite easy to
fake.

I did a Google search on this and can't find any sort of confirmation for the
idea that he really has six fingers.

--Helen

[P. Tierney]

"H Schinske" > wrote in message
...
> wrote:
>
> >there were hand-prints of famous people up on the
> >wall. Bill Cosby was one, and I distinctly remember seeing an extra
> >finger. It's entirely posssible that he had them removed, though. I
> >suppose it's also possible that I'm remembering wrong, but it doesn't
> >seem likely.
>
> Seems to me like a typical bit of humor on his part. It would be quite
easy to
> fake.

If he's got it, then they airbrushed it out in his show. It
just ain't there.

OTOH, watch a Chicago Cubs game and see Antonio Alfonseca
pitch. He has six fingers on each hand -- "El Guapo" (octopus) is his
nickname. He's built himself a nice little career.

And I'll be watching plenty as I head off on vacation.


P.
Tierney

[Sara]

P. Tierney wrote:

> OTOH, watch a Chicago Cubs game and see Antonio Alfonseca
> pitch. He has six fingers on each hand -- "El Guapo" (octopus) is his
> nickname.

Pulpo. Rich Garces is El Guapo, 'cause he's so easy on the eyes.

--
Sara, accompanied by the baby barnacle

<< I check this e-mail account infrequently >>

[Maryilee]

My niece had an extra finger on each hand. They branched off the second joint
on her little fingers. They were tied off shortly after birth. My poor aunt,
who hadn't heard about the extra digits, about had a heart attack when my
cousin cheerily told her that "Kerry's fingers fell off today!" <g>


Maryilee

Maggie's Christmas page
http://www.angelfire.com/vi/maggie/christmaspictures.html
Info on hereditary spherocytosis
http://www.angelfire.com/vi/maggie/spherocytosis.html

[CBI]

"Cathy Weeks" > wrote in message
om...
> >
> > Where does this information come from? I've watched Bill Cosby for
> > years and never noticed extra fingers, and I just searched for some
> > pictures and his hands look like they have five fingers each.
>
> When I was a kid, I took part in a neat program called Kaleidescope in
> Kansas City...and there were hand-prints of famous people up on the
> wall. Bill Cosby was one, and I distinctly remember seeing an extra
> finger. It's entirely posssible that he had them removed, though. I
> suppose it's also possible that I'm remembering wrong, but it doesn't
> seem likely.

He is a comedian - perhaps he was playing a joke?

--
CBI

[Cathy Weeks]

"CBI" > wrote in message >...
> "Cathy Weeks" > wrote in message
> om...
> > >
> > > Where does this information come from? I've watched Bill Cosby for
> > > years and never noticed extra fingers, and I just searched for some
> > > pictures and his hands look like they have five fingers each.
> >
> > When I was a kid, I took part in a neat program called Kaleidescope in
> > Kansas City...and there were hand-prints of famous people up on the
> > wall. Bill Cosby was one, and I distinctly remember seeing an extra
> > finger. It's entirely posssible that he had them removed, though. I
> > suppose it's also possible that I'm remembering wrong, but it doesn't
> > seem likely.
>
> He is a comedian - perhaps he was playing a joke?

Yes, it's possible. The handprints were actually impressions in a
clay...and we could put our (much smaller) hands into the handprints.

This was when my mother was in dental school, probably when I was 10
or 11. I'm 34 now, so to be quite honest, I'm beginning to doubt the
accuracy of my memories. I'm positive there was a six-fingered
handprint that didn't look fake to my pre-adolescent eyes, and I'm
positive that one of the handprints was from Bill Cosby. I'm even
positive that the six-fingered handprint was from someone famous,
because I had heard of them. Beyond that, I'm not positive that Bill
Cosby's handprint was the one with six fingers. I *think* it was, but
I'm no longer willing to put money on it!

Cathy Weeks
Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01