Interesting facts about Dwarfism
History and Research of Dwarfism
Treatments/ Cures for Dwarfism
- Dwarfism has been around as early as 4500 BCE
- The only discoveries about it that have been made is that it can be feneded off with a therpy held insde the womb
- Because of the fact that there is no cure, no research is being done on Dwarfism
- The only advancement that are being made are ones to make the lives of the who are infected easier
- It is one of the few diseases that have been discovered to occur more as the father ages
- Used be worshiped as gods in Egyptian times.
- Almost all of Dwarves are double jointed
- 9 out of 10 Achondroplastic Dwarves have normal sized parents
- Achondroplasia is the most common type of dwarfism, affecting up to 80% of all Dwarfves.
- Dwarves take no special medications to help their disorder, except for growth hormone pills when at a oyung age
- There is no treatment to reverse the defect and the only way prevent it is through genetic counseling, which could help parents assess their risk of having a child with Dwarfism
- The disorder does not affect either mental capacity or reproductive ability.
Incidence of Dwarfism
- Around 50,000 people suffer from Dwarfism
- One out of every 10,000 births are infected
- Dwarfism does not effect a specific population or people more so than another
Achondroplasic Dwarfism Syndrome
(Commonly known as Dwarfism)
By: Garrett Butcher
Mrs. Zeagan
Period 3
2-26-14
Cause of Dwarfism
Diagnosis/Detection of Dwarfism
- Doctors will diagnose dwarfism by looking at x-rays of bones and seeing that they are failing to grow properly.
- Most of the time the diagnoses are made at birth, but some have been made later.
- There is no cure for this disease
- It is an autosomal dominant disease
- The parent who is infected passes it on to the child
- Each child has a 50% chance of inheriting this
- It's due to a mutation in the FGGR8 gene
- It's a dominant trait, although people can still be infected even if they aree born to parents that do not have this condition due to spontaneous mutations of the genes
- New mutations are connected with increasing paternal age
- Usually with parents over 35 years old
- This disease is not due to a lack nor abundance of chromosomes
Characteristics of Dwarfism
Description of Dwarfism
- Shortening of the limbs (called rhizomelic shortening)
- Short fingers and toes
- Large head with prominent forehead
- A flattened nasal bridge
- Spinal curvature
- Frequently have ear infections (due to tube blockages),
- Sleep apnea
- Many people with this disorder say that everyday life is just the same as a regular person because of all the technology we have today
- Most Dwarves maintain good health and have a life expectancy of a normal person
- Almost all limitations can be fixed.
- Inventions such as pedal extensions, small stools and ladders extremely help the everyday life of a Dwarf
- The Little People of America, is one of the largest organizations created specifically for little people. It provides information, and support for people including children that have dwarfism, and their families.
- The Dwarf Athletic Association of America, was set up to provide athletic support to little people. This is a non-profit organization.