Webbed Toes: Is Surgery Necessary?

Did you know that you can have webbed toes without even realizing it? I never noticed my webbed toes until I had my first child. He was born with noticeable webbing of the second and third toes on his left foot. While researching webbed toes after my son’s birth, I discovered that webbing (especially of the second and third toes) is often inherited.

As I saw pictures of webbed toes online, I noticed that many of them looked like my own toes. The second and third toes on both of my feet are joined slightly more than my other toes, but I never thought of my toes as “webbed”. Now, it is obvious to me that my toes are slightly webbed, and my oldest son inherited his “special toes”, as we call them, from me.

What is Meant by “Webbed Toes”?

Most of the time webbed toes just involve fused skin between the toes. However, it is possible for bones to be connected. There are different degrees of webbing. In cases such as mine, a person’s webbed toes might be barely noticeable. In other situations, webbed toes may be completely fused together.

What Causes Webbed Toes?

It is common for webbed toes to be inherited. Many times hereditary webbing of the toes involves the second and third toes.

A 2006 study published in the medical journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery revealed that smoking during pregnancy dramatically increases the chances of a baby being born with finger or toe deformities, including webbed toes.

Webbed toes are also associated with a few very rare, serious conditions. Most of the time, however, webbed toes are not caused by any serious problem.

Is Surgery Necessary to Fix Webbed Toes?

Not usually. My son’s doctor assured me that his webbed toes would not interfere with walking, running, or performing normal activities. Surgery is usually only performed for cosmetic reasons.

We chose not to have our son’s webbed toes surgically repaired. The webbing has never been a problem for him. He walks, runs, and does everything else normally. Occasionally he says something about his “special toes”, and he did ask me once why he couldn’t pull them apart, but it hasn’t been a big deal to us.

Surgery to repair a child’s webbed toes is usually done between 6 months and 2 years of age, according to the government health information site MedlinePlus. You and your doctor will have to make a decision for or against surgery to correct your child’s webbed toes.

If your child is born with webbed toes, know that most likely it is a minor problem that is just cosmetic in nature. In most cases webbed toes can be corrected successfully, or you can just encourage your child to embrace his “special toes. Either way, there’s little cause for concern, webbed toes should not interfere with normal childhood activities.

Sources:

Personal Experience

Repair of webbed fingers or toes. MedlinePlus.

Webbing of the fingers or toes. MedlinePlus.

Smoking While Pregnant Causes Finger, Toe Deformities. Medical News Today.