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Dwarfism

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Dwarfism

Dwarfism is a medical condition that affects roughly one in every ten thousand children born in America. The Little People of America defines dwarfism as male or female adult to attain a height of four feet ten inches or shorter. The most common type of dwarfism is Achondroplasia. Dwarfs, or little people, still live fairly normal lives.
Most dwarfism-related conditions are genetic disorder, but the causes of some are unknown. Most occurrences result from a random genetic mutation in the mother’s egg or the father’s sperm rather than from either parent’s complete genetic makeup. Achondroplasia is the most common type of dwarfism. Infants born with achondroplasia typically have an arched skull to accommodate an enlarged brain. This results in a broad forehead, low nasal bridge, arms and legs are very short, and the trunk of the body appears long in comparison. Achondroplasia does not affect cognitive and mental abilities. Doctors are able to diagnose most cases of achondroplasia even before birth. The ultrasound can show if a baby’s legs and arms are shorter than average and if the baby’s head is larger.

Another type of dwarfism is Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia. Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia is an inherited disorder of bone growth that results in dwarfism, skeletal abnormalities, and problems with vision and hearing. People with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia have short stature from birth, with a very short neck and trunk and shortened limbs. They also will potentially have spinal cord damage and curvature of the spine. Their hands and feet are usually average-sized although most may get clubfeet. This condition is rare and occurs in less than 1 and 100,000 births.
Diastrophic dysplasia is another rare form of dwarfism caused by an autosomal recessive gene mutation. One in every 500,000 in the United States, one in every 100,000 worldwide, and about one in 300,000 people in Finland are born with diastrophic dysplasia. Affected individuals have short stature with very short arms and legs. Most also have early-onset joint pain and joint deformities which restrict movement. About half of infants with this type of dwarfism are born with an opening in the roof of the mouth and also deformed ears.
Living with dwarfism is not only about being tinier than everyone else. People with dwarfism are limited not only medically by various complications but also by the world around them built for much larger people. In many every day life situations, dwarfs meet difficulties related to the height of furniture, service counters, ATMs, store shelves, along with steps in buildings or public transit. They are more likely to get fatigue from walking long distance, and also tend to get mean looks, discriminatory attitudes, constant prejudice, and sometimes insults. Through organizations such as Little People of America, little people are coming together socially and politically to challenge stereotypes, to educate Americans, and provide support. There are many treatments that can be given, but most dwarfism treatments don’t increase stature they may just correct problems caused by complications. One way to correct people with dwarfism is surgery. Surgical procedures that may correct problems in people with dwarfism include correcting the direction in which bones are growing, correcting the shape of the spine, and increasing the size of the opening in bones of the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord. Another type of treatment is limb lengthening. This procedure is controversial for many people with dwarfism because there are many risks. Because of the stress of multiple procedures, waiting until the person with dwarfism is old enough to participate in the decision to have the surgery is recommended. For individuals with dwarfism due to growth hormone deficiency, treatment with injections of a syntetic version of the hormone may increase final height. In many cases, children receive daily injections until they reach a maximum adult height. Adults with dwarfism should continue to be monitored and treated for problems that occur throughout their life. In conclusion dwarfism is a sad disease. Most cases are not preventable, but many treatments can help with complications. Thousands of people in the United States suffer from some condition of dwarfism. There are many stereotypes about dwarfism that are difficult to change. But there is hope for a change of attitude to help little people live a normal life.

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