How Many Types Of Dwarfism Are There

Michelle Aderholt Dwarfism 11/24/09 Sources Tortora, Gerald J. , and Bryan Derrickson. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. 12th ed. United States of America: John Wiley and Sons, Inc, 2009. Print. “Dwarfism. ” <http://kidshealth. org/Search01. jsp> Nov. 24, 2009. Kugler, Mary. “How many types of dwarfism are there? ” <http://rarediseases. about. com/od/dwarfism/f/dwarfismtypes. htm> Nov. 24, 2009. “Dwarfism” Have you ever been somewhere and seen a person who is shorter than the average person, but appear to look older? More than likely they have a condition known as, “Dwarfism.

They usually have a normal size body with the exception of their arms and legs. Most dwarfs are less than 4 feet 10 inches and need help reaching higher objects. Dwarfism is a condition of seized growth and is characterized by shortness. Some people can be identified before birth if they have dwarfism by doing a sonogram, but unfortunately most are identified after they are born. Dwarfism can be caused by more than 200 conditions, however, most are caused by genetics.

Genetic mutations in the egg or sperm cells prior to conception have been known as a cause of dwarfism. It can be caused by genes from one or both parents.

Other causes of small people are excessive or not enough hormones that control how tall we grow. Dwarfism can and most often happens in families where both parents are of normal height. It has also been lead to believe chromosomal abnormalities, pituitary diseases, and kidney diseases can all lead to people being a dwarf.

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There are over 200 types of dwarfism. However, there are two main types. Disproportionate dwarfism is one main type. A person with this type of dwarfism has some average body parts and some shorter body parts. The shorter body parts are usually their limbs (arms and legs).

The most common type of disproportionate dwarfism is achondroplasia, which has an average height of 4 feet and occurs in 1 of every 26,000 – 40,000 babies. Another main type of dwarfism is proportionate dwarfism where the person is small all over their body. The most common types of this disorder include growth hormone deficiency dwarfism, primordial dwarfism, and seckel syndrome. Although dwarfism does not affect a person’s brain, it can affect a person in many other ways. The disease can make a baby experience hydrocephalus, which is too much fluid around the brain.

It can also affect a babies motor skills. Most dwarf babies tend to walk and crawl later than normal kids. They are also at greater risk of apnea, which is when a person stops breathing temporarily during sleep. The cause of apnea is because they have small airways or their airways get obstructed. Ear infections and hearing loss are also major complications of dwarfs. Several other complications include brain and spinal cord being compressed, weight problems, scoliosis, bowed legs, trouble with joint flexibility, arthritis, back pain, teeth problems due to small mouths, and reduced muscle strength.

The complications can be detected early and be corrected surgically or non-surgically in most cases. Most people who are dwarfs marry someone who is a dwarf too. For many dwarfs that get married they often worry about what will happen to their kids when they decided to have them. They often question if their children will have the same disorder as they do. Most parents with dwarfism have nothing to worry about, they will have normal sized kids. Studies show an adult with one dwarf kid is unlikely to have another one.

One show I like to watch and will use as an example is, Little People Big World. It is about 2 people who marry each other and both are dwarfs. They have four children, three are normal size and one is a dwarf. In order to know if your kids will be a dwarf you would have to see a genetic counselor. For most people with dwarfism there is no known treatment. However, many hormonal problems may be treated early with injections or diets to help a child’s growth. Usually dwarfs have more surgeries than the average person.

Nonsurgical therapy can also be used to help complications so that people can live a normal life without putting stress on their bones or joints. For most dwarfs they say, “They can do anything a normal person can do. ” Although most types of dwarfism have many complications and vary from person to person, in general dwarfs can lead a normal life. Many dwarfs feel they don’t even have a disability and lead the best life’s possible. Most can drive, play sports, and be anything they want to be. Dwarfs often are caught saying, “They are just a normal person, but do things a little different. ”