Why are my child's fingers attached and inseparable?

Q: My new born child, born a month ago, has all his four fingers except the thumb of the left hand attached together and inseparable. Bones of the fingers are separated at the base of the fingers, but the nails are connected together. However all nails are identifiable. Please suggest what to do?

A:This condition is called syndactyly where the fingers are fused. Your child needs to be evaluated fully to find out if there are any other birth defects. This problem can be corrected surgically by separating the fingers and using skin grafts. This is best done after 1 year of age.