Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists at Shriners Children's help kids be as independent as possible, focusing on what is important to them and what they love to do in their daily lives.
Polydactyly Care
When your child is born with a condition like polydactyly – the existence of more than five fingers or toes on a single hand or foot – a great relationship with your care provider can help you feel secure in the choice of treatment you make for your child.
Polydactyly is often genetic, and may appear in a few different ways: a raised bump of soft tissue containing no bones; a partially formed finger or toe with bones but without a joint; a fully-functioning finger or toe.
Polydactyly may be detected during the first trimester of pregnancy, or may not be identified until birth. In either case, recommended treatment will depend on which type of polydactyly is diagnosed.
Finger Duplication
Treatment recommendations often depend upon which digit is duplicated:
- Small finger duplication
- Extra fingers without bones may be removed before a child's first birthday by cutting off the blood supply to the digit, allowing the excess soft tissue to fall away naturally.
- For more fully-formed or functional fingers, surgical removal of the digit is often necessary.
- Thumb duplication
- Options to remove an extra thumb vary, depending on the factors like the position of the additional thumb.
- Because removal of an extra thumb is often more complicated, surgery is likely required.
Toe Duplication
Facts about toe polydactyly:
- Polydactyly of the toes is much more common than the fingers, with 1.7 children per 1,000 births born with polydactyly of the toes compared to 0.3 per 1,000.
- Toe polydactyly is more common in boys than girls, and most common in African American children.
- In most cases, the "ideal age" to remove an extra toe is around 1 year. At this age, the foot is large enough to make the removal more simple, and the child is not yet aware of the extra digit.
While many times a surgical option is chosen for cosmetic reasons, other times surgery can increase functionality of the hand or foot.
Locations for Polydactyly care
View All Related Locations
Shriners Children's provides specialty health care to children around the world. We offer a comprehensive range of treatments, services and support to improve the quality of our patients’ lives and help them reach their full potential.
Innovative Treatments
View All Related Treatments
Orthopedic Surgery
With their expertise in treating children from toddlers to teens, the pediatric orthopedic surgeons at Shriners Children’s understand the challenges of planning ahead for growing bones and bodies.
Pediatric Rehabilitation
Shriners Children's specializes in supporting your child physically, developmentally and emotionally to reach his or her pediatric rehabilitation and therapy goals.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy at Shriners Children's helps children build confidence and strength, focusing on what is important to them and what they love to do in their daily lives.
Plastic Surgery
Shriners Children’s experienced pediatric plastic surgeons use reconstructive plastic surgery techniques to bring hope and healing to families dealing with differences involving the face, jaw, eyelids, ears, breasts or skin.
Reconstructive Surgery
Shriners Children’s provides innovative, personalized care for children with reconstructive needs.
Next Steps
Request an Appointment
Families and caregivers seeking treatment should start by contacting us for an appointment.
Log in to the Patient Portal
Parents and guardians of existing patients can email, request records, schedule appointments and more.
Refer a Patient
Physicians and healthcare providers can request appointments, start transfers or contact us with questions.