Wednesday, February 16, 2011

TERATOLOGY: On the road to Mandalay

http://www.kboi2.com/news/offbeat/116237734.html?tab=gallery

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - From almost the moment Le Yati Min was born, her mother knew the girl had a little something extra. "I asked the nurses whether my kid was born complete with hands and legs," says her mother. "They replied that the baby even has more than she needs."

Born with 12 fingers and 14 toes, Le may be the most "digitally enhanced" person in the world. Now, the 16-month-old girl's family in impoverished Myanmar is seeking a Guinness World Record to prove it. A neighbor is helping her mother apply to claim the record hearing that a boy from India currently hold bragging rights for the most digits, with 12 fingers and 13 toes. Polydactylism - being born with an extra finger or toe - is fairly unusual, but it is even more rare for someone to have spare functional digits on both hands and feet, as Le does.

Le lives with her family in a small wooden house on the outskirts of the Southeast Asian country's former capital of Yangon, where she runs around with seven toes on each foot. Proud mom Phyo Min Min Soe, 26, said Tuesday that she'd be happen to see Le gain a world record, but even without that, her daughter already has a happy life, and even some natural advantages.

"She seems to have a stronger grip on things - so she doesn't drop things much," she says, as Le plays nearby with a mobile phone.

According to the Guinness World Records website, the record for most fingers and toes for a living person is currently held by two people in India, who have 12 fingers and 13 toes each.

1 comment:

  1. This child should find the extra toes and fingers are a big advantage should she ever take up swimming as a career.

    ReplyDelete