Dwarfism

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Dwarfism

• By Amy Evans

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Types of Dwarfism

• There are way to many types of Dwarfism for me to
  go over in this short amount of time that I have
  today.
• 200 of those types have not even been named!
• Because there are so many different types, I will
  give you all the most common.

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Achondroplasia

• Of all the types of Dwarfism that is out there,
  Achondroplasia is by far the most common.
• This type of Dwarfism accounts for half of all
  cases.

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Characteristics of Achondroplasia

• People with this type have an average size trunk,
  with short arms and legs with a slightly enlarged
  head and prominent forehead.
• Most of the people with this type are born to
  average sized parents.
• The average adult height is about 4 ft. tall.

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Diastrophic Dysplasia

• Before 1960, many doctors believed that this type
  was another form of Achondroplasia.
• Life span is normal, however there tends to be
  respiratory problems at infancy and orthopedic
  problems which can require many surgeries.

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Characteristics of Diastrophic Dysplasia

• Short limbs
• Cleft palate
• Club feet
• Hitchhikers thumb
• Ears with a cauliflower appearance

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Growth-Hormone Deficiency

• Effects an estimated 10,000-15,000 people in the
  U.S.
• This type of Dwarfism can be difficult to
  diagnose.
• Can be treated with regular injections of human
  growth hormones.
• People with this type use to be referred to as
  midgets, which is now offensive.

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Characteristics of Growth-Hormone Deficiency

• Children with this disease often grow normally
  until about 2 or 3 years old.
• This causes a short stature in which the persons
  head, trunk, and limbs are in the same proportion
  as an average size person.
• This is where the term midget came from.

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Facts About Dwarfism

• Dwarfs are able to participate in athletics as
  long as it is within the limits of their medical
  diagnosis.
• Average-sized people can become the parents of a
  dwarf child and dwarfs can become parents to an
  average-size child.

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References

• Little People of America Online,
  www.lpaonline.org/

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