Are finger deformities hereditary?

Although finger deformities are not particularly common clinically, they can cause great harm to children. There are many causes of finger deformities, including congenital deformities, genetic factors, and some improper behaviors of pregnant women during pregnancy, such as medication, etc. When finger deformities occur, they must be treated as soon as possible to avoid excessive impact on the child.

Are finger deformities hereditary?

The causes of congenital malformations are not yet fully understood, and there are both genetic and external factors. The deformity rate of children born in families with deformities is 25 times that of normal families.

Generally, there is no need to worry too much. You can do a three-dimensional color ultrasound after 4 months of pregnancy to detect hand deformities.

First of all, we need to find out what causes the deformity. If the abnormality is caused by a genetic disease, it may be inherited.

If it is not a genetic disease, but due to the mother taking teratogenic drugs or other external chemical and physical factors during pregnancy, or suffering from diseases such as rubella, it may also cause the child to be deformed. If this is possible, it will generally not be passed on to the next generation.

It is generally recommended to go to the hospital for genetic testing for genetic diseases. Another way is to do amniotic fluid DNA testing after pregnancy to see if the child has any deformities.

Classification of finger deformities

1. Polydactyly Polydactyly is one of the most common congenital malformations. Some supernumerary fingers (toes) are hereditary. For example, supernumerary fingers of the middle finger and little finger are autosomal dominant genetic abnormalities. The fourth finger, the ring finger, middle finger and little finger deformities each have unique manifestations. Complex deformities such as mirror hand (ulnar-sided hands) and pentadactyly also belong to supernumerary finger deformities. Duplication deformities can be divided into three types: radial (thumb side), middle and ulnar (little finger side). Simple duplication deformities should be removed as early as possible in infancy, while complex polydactyly should be corrected after 1 year of age. The most common polydactyly is the supernumerary thumb. 2. Syndactyly : Syndactyly is also common, and can be divided into complete syndactyly and partial syndactyly. When only the soft tissue is closed, it is called simple syndactyly. Syndactyly is called complex syndactyly when it is connected by bones. Syndactyly is more common between 3 and 4 fingers, and can also be seen in Apert syndrome (craniosynostosis, varying degrees of complex syndactyly of the hands or feet), fasciculopathy and Poland syndrome (absence of the pectoralis major muscle and syndactyly). Surgical separation and full-thickness skin grafting are often required.