Dwarfism is not classified as a disease, rather, it is a genetic condition that has an affect on the growth and development of the skeletal system. An adult under the height of 4 feet and 10 inches is typically considered to have dwarfism. The two main types of dwarfism are disproportionate or proportionate. Proportionate dwarfism is when a person experiences an effect on their growth resulting in a short stature and disproportionate dwarfism is when the limbs do not develop properly, but the rest of the body is proportionate. Etiology: There are many different genetic mutations and abnormalities that can cause dwarfism. The most common causes of disproportionate dwarfism are achondroplasia, spondyloepiphyseal dysplasias, diastrophic dysplasia, …show more content…
The only population that is most commonly affect would be the developing fetus, which is where most cases of genetic mutations that result in dwarfism occur. Pathophysiology/Epidemiology: Dwarfism affects the whole skeletal system as well as certain parts of the brain. Depending whether the person has proportionate dwarfism or disproportionate dwarfism there can be varying effects on the person's growth and development. The main cause of a child being born with proportionate dwarfism is if their parents also happen to be affected with this condition. Proportionate dwarfism can also occur when the body does not produce enough growth hormone. This can be present at birth if there is problems with the pituitary gland or it can be linked as part of another condition. Proportionate dwarfism can also occur during childhood if there is an injury to the brain, a brain tumour or if the child goes through radio therapy around the …show more content…
Other than the most apparent signs, short stature and short limbs, there are a number of symptoms that can affect the person as a result of this condition. Many individuals experience delays in early motor development (such as learning to sit up, crawl and walk), frequent ear infections which could increase the risk of hearing loss, bowing of the legs, sleep apnea, pressure on spinal cord at the base of the skull, hydrocephalus, weight gain resulting in joint pain, and crowded teeth. Additionally they are at risk for many spinal problems such as severe hunching, lower back pain, spinal stenosis, and numbness in the legs as well as arthritis.For people that suffer from a type dwarfism, day to day life can be very difficult for them because they suffer from so many physical symptoms. It can greatly affect the types of activities that they can participate in. Not only do they suffer from physical symptoms, but they also experience more symptoms that are not directly related to their condition. People who have dwarfism look different and as a result it makes them vulnerable to teasing and bullying. This can lead them to feeling isolated from their peers, having a low self esteem, feeling depressed, and it can impact their work and school performance. There are many misconceptions about people who have this condition and they are often labeled as “midgets”. Most people that have a form
Throughout this semester, I have gained a abundance of information on genetics that I never knew, but reading the book "Mendel 's Dwarf" did make it a little bit more difficult for me to understand genetics. After looking back at my notes I remembered early in the semester our professor discussing the condition that Dr. Benedict Lambert suffers from which is Achondroplasia(dwarfism). Achondroplasia is condition of short limbs, usually in arms and legs, the torso and head size is majority of the time normal. Simon Mawer describe Dr. Lambert body as "His body is not normal, his is not normal, his limbs are not normal. He possesses a massive forehead and blunt, puglike features. His nose is stove in at the bridge, his mouth and jaw protrude. His
Meanwhile for other babies having an underdeveloped brain could cause major physical problems for the child. This could include hearing loss and visual problems which would mean that the child would not be able to recognise voices and its surroundings. Another problem this could cause is feeding problems because the child might not be able to swallow this would cause major issues because the child wouldn't be able to get the nutrients it needs to
There are some really gross and demeaning ways in which short statured people are exploited such as dwarf throwing contests, dwarf wrestling, and generally, the portrayal of short statured people in movies and television that endows them with ‘special’ characteristics (either evil or good).
Girls with this syndrome may have many middle ear infections during childhood; if not treated, these chronic infections could cause hearing loss. Up to the age of about 2 years, growth in height is approximately normal, but then it lags behind that of other girls. Greatly reduced growth in height of a female child should lead to a chromosome test if no diagnosis has already been made. Early diagnosis is very importance in order to be able to give enough correct information to the parents, and gradually to the child herself, so that she has the best possibilities for development. Early diagnosis is also important in case surgical treatment of the congenital heart defect (seen in about 20 per cent of cases) is indicated.
Wendy's assessment of the situation is correct-all children must grow up. Or do they? Most of the time, children do grow up. They become adults. They live their lives. There are not many Peter Pans out there who refused to grow up and succeed. However, in some extremely rare cases, stress prevents children from growing. If you are short, you may be thinking that perhaps you suffered from this type of stress and you did not grow to your full potential. Perhaps your parents divorced, or you moved around frequently. This kind of stress, nevertheless, is not severe enough to prevent a child from growing. Rather, those who suffer from this disorder are the children who are extremely neglected (mistreated in orphanages, locked in rooms, completely neglected). The result is an extremely rare disease known as psychogenic or psychosocial dwarfism. What are the causes of this rare disease? How much is biological and how much is social? Why is it that stress can have such a profound effect on the bodies' normal development and maintenance?
...ility, they are weak and are not as vigorous/ active as kids that don’t have down syndrome. Many kids with translocation down syndrome function differently than others because they have to deal with mental and physical problems unlike others and often need physical therapy. Not only that, kids with this disorder take intervention classes to try to improve the disorder as well as try to improve their physical, mental and intellectual abilities. Also, kids with down syndrome are slow in motor development(the ability to control one’s body movement’s). They also have verbal short-term memory loss.At school, kids with down syndrome should interact with others to build a foundation of social abilities allowing the child to be more sociable and participate in discussions in class. This will improve the level of functioning of a child with translocation down syndrome.
Life with dwarfism can be simple. However, it can also be challenging at times. The disease can delay your human instincts like sitting up and crawling. It might have constant ear infections and could become deaf. It could make it hard to breathe while sleeping. It can also cause arthritis in adulthood. In Barbara Walters Dwarfism interview with a dwarf family, [Georgia Family Happy to Be 'The Real Life Seven Dwarfs'. By Lauren Putrino and Jennifer Joseph via 20/20, May 4, 2012.] it was stated that “‘People sometimes calls me midget. I just ...
It is well known that children have Down syndrome within physical features. They are not different than a person who does not have Down syndrome, but their physical features are quite different such as, facial appearance in the face, which is flatter. They also have a slant within their eyes, smaller ears and protruding tongue which is slightly bigger and suspends out a part from the mouth. (2)
Children with Down Syndrome have distinct physical characteristics. They are short in stature and have a small, round face with a high flattened ...
Some characteristics of DS are: deep folds at the corners of the eyes, hypotonia, short stature, flexible joints, small oral cavity and heart defects (Taylor, Richards, & Brady, 2005). Most individuals with DS have a moderate intellectual disability, although there is a range of disability, from severe to high functioning (IQ above 70). Since DS is a birth defect and not a disease, there are no treatment options. Improvement can be made through physicians, special education, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and psychol...
Most dwarfing conditions are described as either short-limbed or short-trunked dwarfism. Achondroplasia is a form of short-limbed dwarfism. This means that their sitting height is within range of an average person’s sitting height, but their legs are just shorter. The disorder’s involvement tends to be rhizomelic, which means the thighs and arms are shorter, rather than the calves and forearms. The most common problem with Achondroplasia is the abnormal bone growth during development. Because of this, the features are able to be seen at birth (medscape.com).
Dwarfism is a condition found in both genders where, according to the website Little People of America, the average adult height is approximately of four feet. Out of over one hundred types of dwarfism, achondroplasia is the most common.According to the Greenberg Center for Skeletal Dysplasis, achondroplasia “occurs in approximately 1 in 26,000 to 1 in 40,000 births.”Distinguishable features of a dwarf with achondroplasia, says the Greenberg
...omosomes or genetic/chromosomal disorders. The most common type of genetic or chromosomal disorder is Down Syndrome or trisomy 21 (Cherry, n.d.). The condition occurs when a child has three chromosomes at the site of the twenty-first chromosome rather than the normal two. Some of the most common signs of Down Syndrome include round face, thick tongue, slanted eyes, hearing problems, heart defects, and intellectual impairment.
There are many different types of dwarfism that researchers have confirmed today, but there still are many genes for dwarfism that remain unidentified.The most common of these known causes is achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder.The Little People Online website states that most dwarfs who suffer from achondroplasia are born to “average-size” parents, and that their birth rate is somewhere between onein26,000-40,000www.lpaonline.org).The main characteristics of this form of dwarfism are normal trunk size with short appendages, irregularly large heads wi...
People with disproportionate dwarfism are far below their average height with shortened limbs, which may affect their movement. They will have a late development of motor skills, such as a basic movement of sitting up. People with dwarfism are more prone to getting frequent ear infections and are at a risk of hearing loss. They will have a bowing of the legs, and get arthritis in adulthood because of all the strain put on their short legs. Another common problem they will get is pressure on the brain and spinal cord, resulting in nerve and breathing problems. This also leads to the affected person having difficulty br...