When a baby is born the saying often goes something akin to “Ten tiny fingers, ten tiny toes, sparkling eyes and a button nose.” When we are born we are usually born with ten tiny toes. These toes are often quite adorable, and will act as a very prominent means of transportation for the rest of our lives. Typically, these tiny toes look like any other set of toes you have seen and act in the same ways. Other times though, something is a little bit different and a baby is born with one set, or an entire foot of webbed toes.
Webbed toes, also known as syndactyly, makes it so that the toes your or your baby are born with have extra skin in between their crevices. This extra skin is connected to the sides of both toes and often fans out. This makes the toes appear as if they belong to a duck or another animal with similarly webbed feet. It occurs in 1 out of every 2000-2500 live births and usually is not a cause for worry. There are various severities of syndactyly. Sometimes the toes are only partially webbed, while other times they are completely webbed. Usually, if there are webbed toes, they occur on the two middle toes.
Cause
Syndactyly is thought to be caused by genetics. Other podiatrists believe that it may have to do with development in the fetus.
Treatment
Syndactyly tends to be a cosmetic issue instead of a functional issue. On rare occasions, a more severe case will require treatment. Some parents may choose to have the webbed toes of their children treated. If the parents do decide to have their child undergo treatment, it is recommended that they wait until the child is at an age where they can properly care for their own feet after surgery. If post-operative care is not done carefully, the syndactyly can heal back as webbed toes or it can cause a severe infection.
If you or your child have webbed toes and want them treated, call Syracuse Podiatry located in Fayetteville, New York. Foot care specialist Dr. Ryan L. D’Amico can discuss the different treatment options available to you for your webbed toes. Call 315-446-3668 or make an appointment online today. Your feet will thank us.