Story By: John Feng, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: AsiaWire Report

Picture Credit: AsiaWire

Doctors are working hard to fix the feet of this poor baby girl who is suffering from a rare case of “lobster feet”.

The 11-month-old, whose condition is known as split foot malformation, only has five toes in total, including her little and big toes on each foot.

Her 34-year-old mum, surnamed Han, took her to Shenzhen Children’s Hospital for treatment in China’s southern Guangdong Province.

Orthopaedic surgeon Han Jingming – no relation to the mother – said the condition was caused by an issue during the child’s developmental phase inside the womb.

“It creates what look like lobster or crab claws,” Doctor Han said, adding: “Her feet are split and she can’t wear shoes.”

The medic, who suggested treatment was best done while the patient was between the ages of six months and three years, took on the challenging surgery which ultimately lasted four hours.

He explained beforehand: “If we don’t treat her, her feet will grow increasingly apart in the future – and it won’t look good either.

“We’ll cut into the V shape and bring her bones together, adjusting her tendons accordingly.

“Because the condition affects only the front portion of her feet, as long as we maintain the back part of her feet, it shouldn’t affect their function.”

Doctor Han said the surgery was a success and the family was “satisfied”.

The girl is now able to wear shoes like normal children, despite still having the ‘lobster feet’ appearance due to her missing toes.

The hospital said the girl would be observed and experts would decide whether a second operation was necessary.