Dwarfism

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Basics

• Summary
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• Diagnosis and Tests

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• Specifics
• Genetics

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

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• Patient Handouts

Summary

People with dwarfism have short stature. This means that their height is under 4' 10" as an adult. They are usually of normal intelligence. Dwarfism most often does happen in families where both parents are of average height.

More than 300 different conditions can cause dwarfism. Achondroplasia is the most common type of dwarfism. Achondroplasia is a genetic condition that affects about 1 in 15,000 to 1 in 40,000 people. It makes your arms and legs short in comparison to your head and trunk. You may also have a larger head and weak muscle tone. Other genetic conditions, kidney disease, and problems with metabolism or hormones can also cause dwarfism.

The conditions that cause dwarfism can also cause other health problems. Most of them are treatable. It is important to have regular checkups throughout your life. With proper medical care, most people with dwarfism have active lives and live as long as other people.

Start Here

• Achondroplasia (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Dwarfism (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Dwarfism (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Genetic Testing (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Ellis-Van Creveld Dysplasia (Nemours Foundation)
• Primordial Dwarfism (Nemours Foundation)

Genetics

• 3-M syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• achondrogenesis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• achondroplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• anauxetic dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• atelosteogenesis type 2: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• campomelic dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• cartilage-hair hypoplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• diastrophic dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• fibrochondrogenesis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• hypochondrogenesis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• hypochondroplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• isolated growth hormone deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Kniest dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Laron syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Meier-Gorlin syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• metatropic dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• osteoglophonic dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Robinow syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Saul-Wilson syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia, Strudwick type: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• spondylothoracic dysostosis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• thanatophoric dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Statistics and Research

• Insights Into Severe Form of Dwarfism Could Lead to New Treatment Strategies (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Achondroplasia (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Dwarfism (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Etiology of severe short stature below -3 SDS in a screened...
• Article: Clinical and genetic characteristics of Dutch children with central congenital hypothyroidism,...
• Article: A new domestic cat genome assembly based on long sequence reads...
• Dwarfism -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Children

• Dwarfism (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Dwarfism (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Achondroplasia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish