Yesterday we discussed the toddler from Munich who accidently lost two fingers to an escalator.

Now here is the story of another toddler who is going to need two fingers deliberately removed.

Eleven month old Yasser was born with a total of twelve fingers and eleven toes.

The extra toe has already been surgically cut off at a clinic in Berlin. The two fingers will be removed this summer.

See the video report on Reuters.com: Twelve fingers and eleven toes

For reference, see also the Polydactyly article on Wikipedia.

Is it only for cosmetic reasons the extra digit being removed or do the extra fingers cause a hinderence?

Read the wiki page... Sometimes it's useless, sometime it's actually fully formed and useable..

My cousing just had a baby with 6 digits on each hand. I don´t know her well and haven´t spoken with her recently, but I heard the extra digits will be removed. I think it´s not so tragic -- and then it occurred to my dad to mention for the first time that someone in our family in the past had that, too. So apparently it runs in the family. Didn´t make my pregnant sister feel any better. But if the worst thing the baby has is an extra pinky, that is A-ok.

From the Wiki Page..


It's prob. wrong, but if it isn't that seems kinda high.

Umm ... I had to read that sentence twice. Indeed, Wiki can sometimes be fully formed and useable.

Not sure about the ethics of removing the extra digit if it's useable though. I'd agree to having extra toes removed, because they wouldn't be much use, and could be a real problem getting shoes to fit. But useable extra fingers ... that could be a big advantage for a musician playing guitar, or piano, or any instrument where you need lots of fingers. Also not a bad idea to have a spare in case some are lost in an accident.

Perhaps you are right, Green Tea. But what if the extra digits keep getting in the way?

"I'd love to buy that bracelet, but due to my extra digit, I can't fit it over my hand." For example.

or- "Jebus- mittens for me AGAIN this winter! I wish I could wear gloves like all the cool kids. "

Alex was born with an extra finger and an extra toe. In addition to the finger he also had a bud on the other hand as if it had started to grow. The finger had no bone on it but had a nail, they tied cotton around it and it dropped off eventually. The extra toe had a bone and he had that off at about 18 months along with the buds left on the side of his hands. I wasn't originally going to have the toe taken off but as he had really wide feet anyway it would have caused complications for shoe buying later on.

Did the doctors give you any indication that an extra finger would be necessary to remove? I mean, there must be some reason they remove them.

i guess removing it would be the right thing to do. Can you imagine how much crap the poor kid would put up with at school?

Maybe. But kids shouldn't be so narrow minded. Having six fingers could be very cool really. Like Green Tea said- if you're a harpist or a guitar player, etc.

would be good for counting too

this little piggy went to the store
this little piggy lit one
this little piggy went to school
this little piggy went shopping
this little piggy went to work
this little piggy...I dont know where this little piggy goes...you have too many piggies.

Ok, I just read the Wiki article. So sometimes the extra digit isn't fully functioning or whatever. But apparently there is no real medical reason to have fully functioning ones removed or anything. I mean if it wasn't fully functioning, it wouldn't do you much good just dangling about all the time.

I'm not sure I'd opt for an extra finger- but a few extra hands and a set of eyes on the back of my head would really be handy. I don't see why people would make fun of someone with 6 fingers- it's a pretty cool thing to have, if you ask me.

Hannibal Lecter had this rare form of poldadactility also and had his extra fingers removed to disguise himself in Hannibal.

Interesting, Yeti...

is there a moral to that story or was that just a fun fact?

Edit: Apparently it's prevalent among the Amish. Perhaps Hannibal was the bastard son of an Amish whore or similar?

Well don't truist a man with six fingers on each hand and recipies with fava beans and a nice chianti. If he also plays the harpsicord and is a character in a Thomas Harris novel then scurry off as fast as your nine-toed feet can carry you.

However Jenny_L, don't take this as a moral, per se. more like a random unfun "fact".

Do the Amish actually have whores , I mean it's probably not as bad as electricity?

Intercourse is gift from the Father. Electricity is definitely NOT.

In Alex's case it was just dangling there so it was better to remove it as the chances of it being pulled off would have been quite high. With the toe, I had that removed because of the width of his feet, it would have been impossible to buy shoes, they would have had to be specially made.

Wow. So the decision was made based on the fact that he would have been at a higher risk of injuring himself because he had no control over that finger. I suppose that makes sense. I can also understand the decisions about extra toe. Your feet take a lot of pressure from standing and walking around all day- and are constricted by shoes.

I had a friend who had an extra thumb. It branched out from his "main" thumb and was functional. He chose to get it removed at age 16 because he felt that it grossed out the ladies.

To be honest, with the finger if I remember rightly (it was a long time ago) it wasn't particularly discussed. The doctor came round and looked at it, then wrapped a bit of cotton round it and a few days later there it was lying in his cot. He still has problems sometimes now with the point where his toe is as it's still wider there than the other foot and it's murder when he gets a new pair of shoes.