# I have a simian crease on my left hand. How likely that something is wrong with me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 28, 2012, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-simian-crease-on-my-left-hand-how-likely-that-something-is-wrong-with-me/642361 "2012-11-28T11:35:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-simian-crease-on-my-left-hand-how-likely-that-something-is-wrong-with-me/642361/1 "2012-11-28T11:35:45Z")
> [@](#): > > The presence of a single transverse palmar crease can be, but is not always, a symptom associated with abnormal medical conditions, such as fetal alcohol syndrome, or with genetic chromosomal abnormalities, including Down syndrome It says “not always”, but what does that mean? I’ve also noticed one side of my face is not symmetrical with the other. I know, no one’s is. But mine seems more so as I study it. And my nose is crooked. Is it likely that I have partial fetal alcohol syndrome or something like that? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-simian-crease-on-my-left-hand-how-likely-that-something-is-wrong-with-me/642361/2 "2012-11-28T13:50:24Z")
I think I read somewhere that a cleft chin (like Cary Grant had) is a sign of fetal alcohol syndrome…or can be. My husband had a cleft chin and his mom was an alcoholic, and I’m sure she drank all through the pregnancy. It was 1939, and I doubt if the dangers were known. Not helpful answer. Sorry. Just adding to the data. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-simian-crease-on-my-left-hand-how-likely-that-something-is-wrong-with-me/642361/3 "2012-11-28T14:07:39Z")
Me too! I always thought the simian crease was the normal one - when you close your fist, your fingers bend along that horizontal line. With 2 creases they’re both half used. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-simian-crease-on-my-left-hand-how-likely-that-something-is-wrong-with-me/642361/4 "2012-11-28T14:07:49Z")
Wise-ass remark: do you have excessive body hair and enjoy swinging through tree? More reasonable remark: Most of the causes listed in Wikipedia would seem to go along with syndromes that would have made themselves obvious by now. Craniosynostosis (from what I see on Wiki) might have caused some pretty obvious issues if it were severe enough, and if it’s mild enough (thinking of your slightly asymmetrical head) presumably hasn’t caused you any problems. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: I have a niece (adopted) who her adoptive parents think may have FAS. It’s a certainty that the mother did drugs (a later child was taken away at birth because of that), and of course quite possible that she drank while pregnant. I don’t personally see the facial issues (they have noted them however), but I _do_ hear of the intellectual and emotional issues. She’s not in the “mentally retarded” range, but won’t be going to Harvard either. So my WAG is that if you had enough of a case of FAS to cause physical changes, you’d have had more obvious developmental issues by now as well. So - the above is more IMHO than GQ, I admit.