Toe and ring finger deformity

Many people are born with toe deformities. When this happens, many parents are confused about what is going on. Because now many people will undergo a lot of prenatal examinations when they are pregnant. Among the items in the prenatal examinations, there is a four-dimensional color ultrasound examination that can check items related to fetal development. So why do babies still have toe deformities after they are born?

Types of toe and ring finger deformities

1. Preaxial polydactyly: also known as radial polydactyly, preaxial polydactyly, and compound thumb deformity. Radial polydactyly belongs to a type of thumb deformity.

2. Postaxial polydactyly: also known as ulnar polydactyly and postaxial polydactyly. Ulnar polydactyly can be divided into three categories due to the different tissue components contained in the supernumerary fingers:

① Soft tissue polydactyly: Polydactyly has only soft tissue growths, without bones, tendons and other tissues;

② Simple polydactyly: polydactyly contains phalanges, tendons and vascular nerve bundles, which are connected to normal fingers and are functionally defective fingers;

③Compound polydactyly: Polydactyly is a true duplication, which not only contains phalanges, tendons, etc., but also includes metacarpal twins.

In addition, the classification of polydactyly of the thumb currently mostly adopts the Wassel classification based on pathological anatomical shape abnormalities, which is divided into seven types, namely the distal phalanx type, the proximal phalanx type and the metacarpal type. Each deformity is further divided into two types according to the degree of separation of the duplicated fingers: the bifurcated type with bony connection and the polydactyly type with joint connection. Together with the tri-segment thumb type, there are a total of 7 types, among which type IV is the most common, accounting for about 47%, type VII accounts for 23%, and type II accounts for 15%. This classification is concise and in line with the laws of pathology and anatomy.

Why can't color Doppler ultrasound detect congenital toe deformities in the fetus?

1. Fetal size

The younger the baby is, the smaller the fetus will be in the mother's womb, so his hands and feet will be smaller. His extra fingers and toes will be smaller than normal fingers and toes and are difficult to notice. Another thing is that when the fetus is too small, the extra fingers and toes have not yet grown. Some can only be seen in the late stage, but the fetus in the late stage has less mobility, and the hands and feet are not easy to show, which increases the difficulty of observation. Only a very few can be seen.

2. Too few inspections

Many people think that a four-dimensional color ultrasound is enough during the fetal period. In fact, it is not like that. The fetus is in a dynamic development process and needs dynamic observation. Corresponding examinations at different periods will rule out more fetal malformations. Many people have done a four-dimensional color ultrasound here. We asked them to come for a follow-up examination, but most of them did not come. This seriously affects our further observation of the fetus, and many deformities cannot be discovered. This is irresponsible to the fetus. So I hope that pregnant mothers will follow our requirements for examination, which may help rule out more malformations that are difficult to detect. At 36 weeks, all parts of the fetus have grown, and some minor deformities may be discovered during this period.

3. Highly dependent

Many people believe that if the four-dimensional color ultrasound shows that all indicators of the fetus are normal, with hands and feet and a normal face, and there are no major problems, then no other examinations are needed. In fact, there are many examinations that are also helpful in detecting deformities. For example, Down syndrome screening can not only detect congenital idiocy, but also detect the chromosomes of polydactyly in the fetus, that is, abnormalities of chromosome 13. If there are abnormalities, you must go to a higher-level hospital for targeted examinations to see if there are abnormalities in the fetus's fingers and toes. There are also 10 eugenics examinations. Some viral and bacterial infections can have serious destructive effects on the fetus's brain, heart, and other tissues, such as late-stage cerebral cavitation, damage to the fetal heart caused by syphilis, hydrocephalus caused by toxoplasmosis, etc.

4. Expecting too much from doctors

Any doctor's examination of the fetus can only make an appropriate assessment based on the time of examination. Doctors are not fortune tellers or gods and cannot comment on the later development of the fetus. Doctors are not omnipotent. They cannot see everything, nor can they cure all diseases. Otherwise, why would hospitals have so many departments? Every doctor has his or her own scope of diagnosis and treatment. We can only operate in accordance with the contents of medical regulations. The diagnosis and treatment scope of each level of hospital is different. We can only conduct routine examinations, so please understand, pregnant mothers. There are many demands now, and more scientists will develop more advanced medical technologies. Maybe in the future there will be better instruments and equipment.