Boy born with 24 fingers and toes

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Boy born with 24 fingers and toes
Doctors in California have been stunned by the birth of Kamani Hubbard, a boy with 24 fingers and toes.
By Tom Leonard in New York
03 Feb 2009

The six digits on each of Kamani's hands and feet are so perfectly formed and fully functioning that experts at St Luke's Hospital in San Francisco said that they do not constitute a deformity or disability. It is not expecially unusual for children to be born with additional digits, a condition known as polydactylism. However, cases in which each hand and foot is affected, and each with extra digits that look and function normally, are extremely rare.

It appears that the baby looked so normal that maternity staff at the hospital didn't even notice the discrepancy after he was born three weeks ago. Nor was it picked up by the radiographer who conducted pre-natal ultrasound scans.

Miryoki Gross, the baby's mother, said that, after she gave birth, doctors and nurses simply told her the baby weighed six pounds and was in good health. "I heard nothing before I gave birth so I'm still in shock," she said. The extra digits - including five fingers and a thumb on each hand - were eventually spotted by the baby's father, Kris Hubbard, a postal worker. He said his family had a history of polydactylism and he himself had the non-functioning nubs of sixth fingers removed as a child.

"I was in amazement. It took a little time for me to take it all in," he said. "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." The parents have made no decision on whether to remove Kamani's extra digits but doctors say there is no need and, rather, they may be useful to keep .

"It's merely an interesting and beautiful variation rather than a worrisome thing. I would be tempted to leave those fingers in place," said Dr Michael Treece, a paediatrician at St Luke's. "I realise 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 pianist a 12-fingered person would be. Imagine what sort of a flamenco guitarist. If else, think of their typing skills."

Baseball experts have already pointed out that the extra fingers could come in extremely useful in pitching the ball. Nicknamed El Pupo - The Octopus - by teammates, Antonio Alfonseca, a famous pitcher for the Florida Marlins baseball team, is believed to derive some of his ability from the undersized sixth digit on each of his hands which allows him to throw a so-called "six finger sinker".

Other famous polydactyls include the blues guitarist Hound Dog Taylor and the Edwardian British musical hall entertainer Little Tich. In the Bible, a son of Goliath was said to have 12 fingers and 12 toes.

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I hope they don't change it. In later life he'll be able to scratch his balls with 20% more efficiency!

[major.tom]

He should have a wonderful career as a pianist. That and he'll probably be able to type circles around us all. (How's that for a mixed metaphor?) ;)

And to the kids who tease him, he can give two middle fingers...

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