The tiny hands of a baby, just three months old, are tightly clenched. She is a lovely little girl with big curious eyes looking at me.I gently open her fingers to reveal two thumbs jostling against each other.Baby has six fingers on her right hand, with two thumbs sprouted together, resembling the claw of a crab. This condition with extra fingers is also known as "crab claw polydactyly."
Outpatient photograph
When the baby was born, her parents were both happy and distressed, never expecting such an anomaly.They brought their three-month-old child to me, do not want the baby to grow up with such a six-finger "strange hand", after all, it will have a very big impact on a girl.
"Don't worry, this is a 'crab claw' polydactyly and can be corrected with surgery."
Watching the mother gently caressing her child with a look of anxiety, I comforted her and explained our surgical plan in detail.
For crab claw polydactyly, it's not just about removing the extra fingers; it also involves multi-dimensional interventions like the tendon, joint capsule, and alignment,so we need to proceed with caution.
"After the surgery, the child will have a foundation for recovery, and functional exercise is crucial at this stage!"
I advised the parents to pay close attention to the child's functional exercises after the surgery.Among the many "crab claw polydactyly" cases we've treated, those who recovered well were the ones whose parents performed good functional exercises.
Many parents want to know how to effectively conduct functional exercises
Firstly, perform bending and stretching exercises on the baby's fingertip joint.
The fingertip joint is the first joint in front of the baby's thumb.Practice whenever there is free time, and it must continue.This is crucial for the baby.The specific method is to gently press down the tip of the thumb, hold it for 10 seconds, and then slowly release.Be careful not to shake the child's thumb randomly or force it, as it can affect the child's postoperative functional recovery.
Passive functional exercise
Secondly, perform the same bending and stretching exercises on the baby's palm-to-finger joint.
This means moving the finger joints at the base of the baby's thumb and trying to spread the baby's palm wide, which is helpful for the recovery of thumb function.At this time, parents should pay attention to the child's grip;they should grip objects with the palm facing head-on, not sideways.
Palm-to-finger joint exercise
Thirdly, wear splints as prescribed by the doctor.Splints have excellent corrective effects, so the baby can exercise during the day and wear the splint at night for correction.
"Functional exercise is crucial. As parents, you must not stop just because the baby cries.The baby needs an adaptation period. After about one or two weeks, she won't resist it anymore, so you need to be patient and help her cooperate."
The parents listened attentively, believing that with the joint efforts of parents and doctors, this lovely baby will definitely grow up confidently and beautifully in the future!