Strollerderby

I went to school with a girl who was born with an extra finger (our fathers also worked together).  It was removed when she was a baby.  No big deal for her, having an extra digit was not who she was as a person.  It didn't make her a super hero or genius and I'd say "serving no purpose" is accurate.  I would have them removed in a heartbeat.  I haven't found that "kids are pretty accepting as a rule".  Quite the opposite.  

Think of how hard it would be to get shoes that would fit an extra toe, or gloves that would need an extra finger. This would be difficult. And children are not accepting of most things and the poor child would be relentlessly teased.

I've heard that Kate Hudson has six toes on a foot. I've seen the photo and it looked real enough, although I know the capabilities of photo editing software. Anyway, if it is true, it obviously never stopped her and she is adored by many and quite successful in her field!

You never know, with an extra finger, one could really excel with a musical instrument and really be innovative in their musical creations..... who knows what the future holds. Kids are going to find something to tease about anyway.... so something as obvious as an extra digit isn't som bad, is it?

My best friend in college was born with an extra finger and an extra toe on each foot. The finger didn't work--it didn't have a middle knuckle and could only work in conjunction with the little finger. She had them removed as a baby and was VERY grateful. She still found it hard to find shoes that fit, however, as her feet were still wide.

And while I can't know until I'm there, I'd absolutely have my baby's removed (and likely call my friend to consult, first).

Kids are not nice to each other.  They are mean.  They use any difference to make you feel bad.  I have heard it over and over in my years as a teacher.  I wish and hope that we do be come accepting of others just the way they are in this wonderful world.

Off, off, OFF!  That runs in my husband's family but we dodged that particular bullet.  Still, I don't even need to think about it - I would have the extras removed post-haste.

Kids are mean and nasty creatures.  How many people do you know who are still walking around with psychological scars from the Mean Girls in high school?  Lots, that's how many.  Kids are evil to one another.

People, quit messing with natural selection! Perhaps we as humans are evolving with extra fingers to more easily accomplish important tasks like palming a basketball.

I work for a vet.  We do tail docks when pups are only a couple of days old, because their bones are soft enough to be more like cartilage.  After that point, it becomes an amputation.  It;s seriously no big deal at 3 days.  It's a huge deal at 3 months.  I'd imagine it's the same way for a baby.  Just my 2 cents.

A friend's son was born with two thumbs on his right hand. It was 12 months before it was able to be removed. His poor mother couldn't decide what to do, especially as after a year he would use it and was developing normally. But the fact was it wasn't normal, and kids are mean, and that's why she had the operation.

If we, as a people, were not so scared of anything different, it probably would't be such a big deal.

Off with them. Beyond being a social stigma and not being able to find shoes, I could see it becoming a potential health and safety issue. With the extra toes, even when you find shoes that sort of fit, they'd rub all the time and you'd have problems with possible infections and impacted skeletal development. I could see problems with learning to walk properly without having negative impacts on the lower back, hips, and knees. And for extra fingers, the world is built for five digit hands. There's such a huge potential for accidents there.

My brother has an extra finger and now he's in his twenties. No big deal for him. The last time I heard, he might varnish the nail of the extra finger!

With that said, if there's no serious harm, why bother to chop off, there's a reason for him to be blessed with extra 4 fingers and toes. Why go against the nature?

I don't know enough about the risks of the surgery involved here to speak with any kind of intelligence. However, most surgeries carry some risk (infection, reaction to medication, nerve damage, death) so this is a no-brainer for me personally. if a surgery isn't medically necessary for my child, I wouldn't do it. As far as other children being cruel/nice to a child who has 6 digits, I think you will find both. Long before I became a parent I saw a show about parents who were allowing their 6 year-old daughter with Down syndrome to have cosmetic surgery to make her look more "normal". They wanted to protect her from other children's comments. I was shocked and appalled. Many years later, when I gave birth to my daughter with Down syndrome (who is now 7), I thought about that story. While I could now empathize with their point (because we all want to spare our children any hurt, especially at the hands of classmates), I  still wouldn't opt to do that to my child. In one way, you are saying your child is not perfect, so you will try to make them perfect. I think the way God created us is the way he intended us to live here on Earth and the way people treat us (good or bad) will shape who we become-usually for the better. By the way, I grew up with someone who has 6 toes and she showed us it for "show and tell". She was the talk of the class for the rest of the year and considered very "cool".

Personally, I think it would be awesome to have 6 fingers. What a unique thing! And who cares what kids think...even if you're the most perfect person in the world, if kids want to tease you - they'll find something.

I wouldn't dare make a decision like that for my child! Leave it be and when they're older if THEY decide they don't want an extra finger or toe, than remove them.

If it didn't affect any health issues, I would have them removed.

I wouldn't let my kid grow up with that stigma knowing I could have done something about it.

I was born with extras as well! The doctor tied them off when I was born - except I have these annoying little bumps on my left hand a foot as part of the evidence.  No one except my family knows and I am so glad for that!! I remember getting the excess removed when I was about 4-5 years old and I looked up at my mom who was bawling.... I don't remember the pain, I only remember her worrying, then I freaked out and that's why the left sides are still slightly there!! When my older sister would get mad at me, she would threaten to tell my friends about my extra fingers and toes and it killed me.  I am so thankful that they were mostly removed - and I am almost ready to completely remove the un-noticeable remains.... I am currently pregnant with my first child and am extremely worried that I may pass this onto my child!! LOL - I told my fiance but he thinks I'm only kidding, the shock he, his family, and our friends will get... Not sure how to deal with that, I hate how ashamed this makes me feel of myself.

You know...I just don't understand why children have to fit a mold. I have known people missing digits and believe me that causes it's own sort of attraction. But having extras, I just don't know.

I do know someone who had a twin with an extra finger they had it removed right away. It look like it hurt, even a week after the procedure was done. It sounds painful even considering it. I don't know what kind of issues it would cause a child for sure, but it seems easy for those who have had it done to justify it.

I don't know what I would do in this situation for certain, but I would sure want to know as much as I could about it before having them removed. Surgery is risky for everyone, not to mention a newborn.

The year? 2007. The scene? Cyberwood. A naive, wiry parental blog with a dream -- you could call it Blog Ambition -- started out working small, beer-soaked gigs at county fairs and roadhouses across the country, only to one day sell out mammoth stadiums

HI to all who read this. I am a mother of a child that just had her extra thumb removed. I thought long and hard weather or not to have it removed, what people would say? and the fact is that people are mean and anything different does not go unnoticed.My daughter is 18months old and the surgery went very well and her hand in a few weeks will look like any other childs. For a mother you want your child to be perfect and to fit in and not have to be looked at as different. In other cultures they will say that the child with extra digits is gifted or will be very intellegent but here in Americapeople look it as a freak show or ask to many questions like why she or he was born that way. I myself am very happy that I chose to have my daughters extra fingers removed. Now I know that she will not be looked upon any different.

i was born with two thumbs on 1 hand and i had it removed when i was 6 months old.  In 2001 i believe i had  the extra bone also removed.