Plastic Surgery
I have no training in this field so all information here is gleaned from articles and other parents
Many parents choose to have the extra pinky removed, usually when their child is about a year old. This is a personal decision. The pinky rarely moves as well as the other fingers so tends to stick out and catch on things, particularly clothing when dressing and undressing. Some parents also think that it is another thing for their child to be teased about by other kids. Some parents have left the decision to their child so they have the operation when they are older. The older the child, the more major the operation is as the bones in the hand become harder. When the child is very young, the bones in the hand are still mostly cartilage.
Pros
¯ May improve hand function/better grip
¯ If done early, less traumatic physically and psychologically for child
¯ One less thing to be teased about
¯ Fingers less likely to be damaged by getting caught on clothing
Cons
¯ Anaesthetic risk
¯ Infection risk
¯ Hypersensitivity risk - the nerve endings around the scar can become hypersensitive which means that touch around the area can be unpleasant