Know the Symptoms of Dwarfism Based on the Type

“Dwarfism is a medical or genetic condition when a person does not grow normally tall like humans in general. There are two types of dwarfism, namely proportional dwarfism and disproportionate dwarfism.

Halodoc, Jakarta – The average height of an adult with dwarfism is around 120 cm or shorter. This size is much shorter than normal adults.

The two main categories of dwarfism, viz disproportionate dwarfism or disproportionate dwarfism, and proportionate dwarfism or proportional dwarfism.

So, what are the symptoms of dwarfism based on the type?

Disproportionate dwarfism and its symptoms

Disproportionate dwarfism is the most common type of dwarfism. The signs are like body parts that are disproportionate to one another, for example in the genetic condition achondroplasia.

This condition occurs when the arms and legs are much shorter than the average human size. However, the torso has a normal size.

In some cases, people with this type of dwarfism may have heads that are slightly larger than normal head size.

Symptoms of disproportionate dwarfism, namely:

• Has a height of about 120 cm.
• The torso is of normal size but other parts are short, especially on the upper arms and legs.
• Short finger.
• There is a wide gap between the ring and middle fingers.
• Limited elbow mobility.
• The head is large and disproportionate.
• Protruding forehead.
• Flat nose bridge.

Symptoms of proportional dwarfism

In contrast to the previous condition of dwarfism, proportional dwarfism is when the head, torso, and other limbs have the appropriate proportions.

However, the size is much smaller than the size in general. This type of stunting is often the result of a hormone deficiency. Well, how to overcome it with hormone injections when the child is still growing.

Growth hormone deficiency is a factor that commonly causes proportional stunting. This occurs when the pituitary gland fails to produce sufficient amounts of growth hormone, thereby stunting growth in childhood.

So, here are the symptoms:

• Growth that is slower than the normal age of children.
• Height is lower than the third percentile on a standard child growth chart.
• Delayed or no sexual development during adolescence.

Skeletal Dysplasia

There is another type of dwarfism that is most common in humans namely skeletal dysplasias or skeletal dysplasia. This type of dwarfism is genetic, as is disproportionate dwarfism.

The following are examples of skeletal dysplasia conditions

1. Achondroplasia

Achondroplasia is the most common type of dwarfism. A person with achondroplasia has a relatively normal torso, but short upper arms and legs. The following are signs of achondroplasia:

• Big head and prominent forehead.
• Protruding jaw.
• The growth of teeth is stacked and misaligned.
• The shape of the feet is flat, short and wide.

Let’s get to know more about achondroplasia in children through the following page, “5 Important Facts About Children with Achondroplasia”

2. Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (SED)

SED or spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia is relatively rare dwarfism. SED refers to a short torso condition, which may not become apparent until a child is between 5 and 10 years of age. The following are physical signs of people with SED:

• Clubfeet or clubfoot.
• Harelip.
• Severe osteoarthritis of the hip.
• Weak hands and feet.
• Barrel chest or the chest looks bloated.

Diastrophic dysplasia A is a rare form of dwarfism, occurring in only about one in 100,000 births. People who have it tend to experience shortening of the arms and calves.

Signs of diastrophic dysplasia A, such as:

• Deformed hands and feet.
• Mobility limitations.
• Harelip.
• Ears with the appearance of cauliflower.

3. Turner’s Syndrome

This genetic condition only affects women. The cause is due to the loss of part or all of the X chromosome (sex chromosome). Turner syndrome can cause a variety of medical and developmental problems, including short stature, failure of the ovaries to develop and heart defects.

Those are the symptoms of dwarfism based on the category and type. If you have these symptoms or symptoms of other rare diseases, immediately ask a doctor through the application Halodoc. Come on downloads Halodoc for earlier disease detection.

Reference:

WebMD. Retrieved 2023. Dwarfism.

Healthline. Retrieved 2023. What Is Dwarfism?

Verywellhealth. Retrieved 2023. The Most Common Types of Dwarfism