Baby Born With 12 Functioning Fingers and Toes

Published:

Baby in California born with 12 functioning fingers and toes, in a rare case of polydactylism

Friday, 06 February 2009

Reposted

Friday, 20 February 2009

A six-pound infant born in San Francisco, California has six perfectly formed and functional fingers and toes on his hands and feet, so that it isn't considered a disability or deformity, say doctors at Saint Luke's Hospital who were amazed by the oddity.

In a medical rarity, super baby Kamani Hubbard was born two weeks ago with 24 working digits. He is healthy and home with his parents in Daly City, California. Polydactyly, a congenital disorder is not uncommon in humans and animals, including cats, but to happen on both hands and feet is a rare hereditary condition.

"Nurses and doctors, looked so normal they couldn't tell, they told me he was six pounds in good health, that was all they said," said Miryoki Gross, Hubbard’s mother. Her baby's specialness didn't even show up on prenatal ultrasounds. "I heard nothing before I gave birth so I'm still in shock, kinda," Gross added. Despite the mother's shock, Kamani's father, Kris, was the first to notice the condition.

Polydactyly (from Ancient Greek means 'πολ?ς' (polus) or "many" + 'δ?κτυλος' (daktulos) "finger[s]"), also known as polydactylism, sexdactyly, hexadactyly, or hexadactylism, is a congenital physical disorder consisting of supernumerary fingers or toes.

In Kamani's case, however, all of the digits are perfectly formed and function or work normally. "I was in amazement, it took a little time for me to take it all in," said Kris, a postal worker, who has a family history of polydactylism, but none of his relatives can remember it happening on both hands and feet.

Mostly, cases of polydactyly are surgically corrected. Kris himself had nubs of sixth digits, which were removed during his early childhood, for having been non-functional. "My son has six fingers then I saw toes, and I thought, this is quite unique. Some family members have had six fingers, not completely developed. But not the toes," Kris noted.

"I would be tempted to leave those fingers in place. I realize children would tease each other over the slightest things, and having extra digits on each hand is more than slight. But imagine what sort of a pianist a 12-fingered person would be imagine what sort of a flamenco guitarist, if nothing else think of their typing skills," Dr. Treece remarked.

"I just want him to see what greatness will be in store for him," said Kris.

Fully developed and functional extra digits on both hands and feet are considered very rare as a genetic trait in medical history, amid some partial development of an extra digit occurs about twice in every 1,000 white male births. Ordinarily, polydactylism appears as an extra piece of non-functional tissue, typically occurring as an extra finger, sometimes with a bone, but no joint.

"It's merely an interesting and beautiful variation rather than a worrisome thing," said Dr. Michael Treece, a St. Luke's Hospital pediatrician, and the OBGYN who delivered Kamani. He has postaxial polydactyly, which is 10 times more likely to occur in black children, and also more likely to appear in boys.

Goliath, a figure in Old Testament, was depicted as having had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.
Bilateral polydactyly with short fingers in Ellis-van Creveld syndrome patient

Blues guitarist Hound Dog Taylor, Get Carter, Little Tich, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and several other figures in history have had polydactyly. Sid Wilson, a turntablist of Slipknot, had been born with an extra finger and toe on his hands and feet which were removed shortly after his birth as doctors considered them to be dead.

View the video on YouTube : Baby Born In Bay Area With 12 Functioning Fingers, 12 Toes

 

Entry #154

Comments

Avatar jarasan -
#1
That rocks! They look perfectly normal. I think that is a positive mutation, the only downside is gloves and anything else designed for the five fingered , five toed peoples! I would love to have an extra middle finger on each hand the possibilities are endless..........................
Avatar truecritic -
#2
Just think how much easier math will be for him!
:>)
Avatar justxploring -
#3
I don't think it's funny. Everyone prays she'll have a normal child with 10 fingers and 10 toes.   Fortunately, the baby is healthy and loved. However, people are very cruel, so he'll probably have to put up with some teasing at school.   I wonder if the comments here, posted by 2 men, prove that most guys wish they had an extra digit.
Avatar DelmarvaChick -
#4
They're boys xp....everyone knows they never really mature past the age of 13...=^)
Even the doctor made some jokes talking about his typing speed and ability to play musical instruments.
Avatar jarasan -
#5
My extra middle fingers would be reserved for self rightous, pompous, know it alls. I speak for myself only, it is my honest opinion, I don't think it is funny, I think it is a gift from God. Only closed minded, scientifically uninformed, backward thinking would take offense or think having four extra functioning digits on ones hands and feet was somehow a reason for being teased at school.   This child is blessed and will have an incredible genetic advantage over all his peers.

Look at his little hands they are a miracle, they are beautiful! They were meant to be, a gift from God. Imagine Chopin, Schubert, or Beethoven YoYoMa, Segovia.........just to start.

Didn't we lose our tails? Aren't blonds becoming extinct? Six fingers is a perfect next step.
Avatar jarasan -
#6
I take that back, as long as there is Clairol there will be blondes, redheads, etc....
Avatar justxploring -
#7
Boy, I must have really hit a nerve!
Avatar time*treat -
#8
If they're all functional, leave 'em there. After baseball and piano, the next thing that came to mind was "indigo". I'll bet we start seeing more people born with fully functional 'extra' digits; enough so that it doesn't count as news. Every major change needs a transition phase. Imagine the first few people who could communicate beyond simple grunts.
Avatar jarasan -
#9
Nobody hit any nerves, it is just an example of looking at "change" differently. Instead of getting bummed out about and seeing the negatives, some see the positives. The child's parents in that video were beaming with joy at their new baby, they know they are blessed to have him home and healthy.

TT I think the "next" means of communication via human evolution is telepathy, its been making the news for years, and is inside us all, it is just a matter of time before it is common place.

The whistling orangutan this week was very interesting, he just imitated his keepers to their surprise, apparently some other higher up ape species can whistle, but never has this species been observed doing so.

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