• Project status: Active

Research area: Genetics > Reproductive Epidemiology

Child with different hand

The Australian Hand Difference Register (AHDR) is a database of children born with a hand difference and/or arm difference.

Congenital hand differences are not that common and occur in up to 30 children in every 10,000 births.

Congenital hand differences are not that common and occur in up to 30 children in every 10,000 births.

Overview

ahdr logo final webA congenital hand difference is a hand or arm difference that is present at birth. Some of the more common differences include:

  • having more or fewer than five fingers
  • fingers that will not bend or will not straighten
  • fingers that are joined together
  • bones in the hand or arm that are too short or missing

Congenital hand differences are not that common and occur in up to 30 children in every 10,000 births, depending on the population studied [1,2,3].

The Australian Hand Difference Register (AHDR) was established in 2017 and contains information about children born with a hand and/or arm difference. The AHDR is managed by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, which is located at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

The AHDR will help us to:

  • find out how many children are born with various types of hand and or arm difference in Australia
  • improve our understanding about causes and risk factors
  • gain information to help in planning services
  • identify possible participants for future research
  • identify the effects of hand differences on children
  • decide how to best manage hand differences

More resources

Frequently asked questions

child in hospital

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