Most parents would find having an extra finger a distressing deficiency, especially if their baby boy was born with the same abnormality.

But for the extraordinary De Silva family having six fingers and six toes has not proved to be a burden, and they have instead turned Polydactyly to their advantage.

Members of the 14-strong family from Brasília, Brazil, all believe their extra fingers are an asset which have made them better musicians and competitive goalkeepers, reports the Mirror.

And for the latest addition, baby boy Vinicius, inheriting the six-finger gene makes him ‘stand out from the crowd’, according to new dad Alessandro.

The six-fingered father says it ‘is a mark no other family has’ after his grandfather Assis turned the deficiency into something to be proud of.

Alessandro’s wife Katia said: ‘We found out that Vinicius was a boy in the thirteenth week of pregnancy and from that moment on we were hoping that he would have six fingers.’ Her husband added: ‘Since Vinicius was born we noticed that his fingers are perfectly functional. He is already trying to grab things, so all his fingers work normally.

Because Katia only has five fingers there was only a 50 per cent chance that Vinicius would be born with the gene. Both hoped the newborn would follow in elder brother Guilherme’s footsteps who proudly owns six fingers.

The genetic syndrome that causes people to be born with extra fingers and toes is called Polydactyly, occurring in one in 1000 births.

The De Silva’s are fondly known in their city as ‘The Family of Six’. Alessandro said: ‘My grandfather transformed having six fingers into a valuable thing.

‘Everything he did carried the six finger family symbol. ‘He transformed the six finger thing into a family brand.’ The De Silva’s story is featured in this week’s Body Bizarre, on Thursdays at 10pm on TLC UK.