Dozen digits! Missouri baby born with 12 fingers and toes
Missouri - New parents often jokingly count their baby's fingers and toes to make sure they're all there. But a mom was shocked when she discovered that her newborn came with a bonus.
The Missouri woman's counting didn't stop at 10, as she found an extra finger and toe on each hand and foot. "It came quite the shock when I had found out my baby would have extra digits," she told ViralHog.
She has since gotten used to her son's unusual feature and even shared the story on the internet: "I decided to make a video and post it on TikTok just for the heck of it because I didn't have any followers."
That's definitely no longer the case, as users embraced the infant's difference and made him a social media star.
His condition is called polydactyly. It's a congenital anomaly that causes the growth of additional digits. These can come in different shapes and sizes, from fully formed fingers to tiny skin flaps.
In most cases, polydactyly occurs on both sides.
Polydactyly can occur in both humans and animals
It's actually a very common condition that shows up everywhere in the animal kingdom. If one parent is already affected by polydactyly, the probability that the offspring will also have it increases by fifty percent.
According to KidsHealth, polydactyly does not usually cause serious health problems, but it can be a part of wider genetic issues.
Its biggest effect is not physical, but psychological, as the condition brings unwanted attention and stigma.
Cover photo: 123RF / Sergey Novikov