Dwarfism
Caused by Abnormal Growth
Introduction to Dwarfism
Dwarfism occurs when a person is naturally shorter than the average height. It is caused due to abnormal growth rate or also delayed growth rate. Adults who suffer from this disorder are about 4 feet 10 inches in height.
Other Causes
- Hypothyoridism is a situation in which the thyroid over grows.
- Spondylopiphyseal dysplasia congenita is a rare disorder of bone growth.
- Tuner syndrome occurs in females where one of the sex chromosomes is missing.
- Pseudoachondroplasia is a type of short- limb dwarfism and is a genetic disorder.
Symptoms and Characteristics
The symptoms and characteristics of Dwarfism vary from person to person.
Some Symptoms and Characteristics
- An average-size trunk
- Short arms and legs, with particularly short upper arms and upper legs
- Short fingers, often with a wide separation between the middle and ring fingers
- Limited mobility at the elbows
- A disproportionately large head, with a prominent forehead and a flattened bridge of the nose
- Progressive development of bowed legs
- Progressive development of swayed lower back
- A short neck
- Shortened arms and legs
- Average-size hands and feet
- Slightly flattened cheekbones
- Hip deformities that result in thighbones turning inward
- A foot that's twisted or out of shape
- Progressive hunching curvature of the upper spine
- Vision and hearing problems
Treating Dwarfism
There is no single treatement to Dwarfism, as bone growth disorders can be treated by surgery an example is a limb lengthning surgery. Some hormones can also be treated through medication and hormone replacement therapy. These treatments give the best results.