adminA baby is set to undergo a number of corrective surgeries after he was born with 15 fingers and 16 toes.
The eight-month-old boy has an astonishing 31 digits — but no thumbs on either palm .
He was born to migrant workers in the the village of Zhongping in China’s southern Hunan province.
His mother has one extra finger on each hand, which may explain how he inherited the condition, known as polydactyly.
Polydactyly occurs in an estimated one in every 1 000 births — but serious cases like this are rare.
Unlike his mother, the boy’s case is much more urgent because the extra digits could affect his ability to walk properly in the future.
After learning about the boy’s extra digits the No 6 hospital of Ningbo City offered to reduce the family’s medical costs — estimated to be around £58 000 — and perform the surgery in three stages.
Doctor Xu Jihai said the operations will involve cutting off the boy’s extra fingers and toes and eventually reshaping his remaining digits.
The high-risk surgeries will focus on his bones, joints, skin, nails as well as critical veins, making them not only challenging, but also requiring an extensive post-op recovery regime.
The first phase of the infant’s treatment has already been completed, reports said, with medics performing surgery on his feet.
If all goes according to plan, all three stages should be finished before the boy starts school.
The hospital has promised follow-up treatments for him for the next 16 years as he grows up. — Reuters
Online Reporter