What Is a Syndactylism Mean?

Syndactyly is a condition in which children are born with fused or webbed fingers. About half of children with syndactyly have it in both hands (bilateral). Most of the time, syndactyly affects the fingers. Sometimes it affects the toes, but not as often.

What does it mean when you have a webbed toe?

What Causes Webbed Toes? Syndactyly occurs when toes fail to divide and separate properly during the baby's development in the womb. They might not become independent digits due to a genetic condition (for example, webbed toes can be associated with Down syndrome), but this is rare.

What causes webbed digits?

Webbing of the digits, or syndactyly, is not caused by the fingers sticking together in the womb; rather, it is caused by failure, during the sixth to eighth weeks of intrauterine life, of the usual longitudinal interdigital necrosis that normally separates the fingers.