Webbing of the fingers or toes

Alternative names:

polysyndactyly; syndactyly

Home care:

Call your health care provider if:

(This condition is normally discovered at birth and evaluated during the newborn hospital stay.)

What to expect at your health care provider's office:
The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.

Medical history questions documenting your symptom in detail may include:

• Which fingers (toes) are involved?
• Have any other family members had this problem?
• What other symptoms or abnormalities are also present?

An infant with webbing may have other symptoms and signs that, when taken together, define a specific syndrome or condition. Diagnosis of that condition is based on a family history, medical history, and thorough physical evaluation.

Laboratory studies such as chromosome studies, enzyme assays, X-rays and metabolic studies may be ordered to confirm the presence of a suspected disorder.

After seeing your health care provider:
If a diagnosis was made by your health care provider associated with the webbing, you may want to note that diagnosis in your personal medical record.

Update Date: 02/09/00
Updated by: J. Gordon Lambert, MD, Associate Medical Director, Utah Health Informatics and adam.com editorial