Dwarfism: what is it? What are the causes? Evolves?

                  

What is dwarfism?

Talking into dwarfism when an individual has much lower height (about 20% less) than the average of others of the same population. The victims of this small growth are popularly called dwarfs. In general, these individuals have a height lower than 1.45 meters in the case of men and 1.40 meter in the case of women.

The dwarfing may also occur in animals. There are many types of dwarfism, classified according to various parameters. As for the body dimensions are two types:

proportional dwarfism: wherein the size of the bodies maintains proportionality between themselves and with the height of the individual.

disproportional dwarfism: that at least some organs are larger, disproportionate to the bone structure of the individual. This last condition is also called skeletal dysplasias because there is, in general, are dysplasias (developmental abnormalities of an organ, usually genetic cause) bone, which severely affect the spine.

According to the etiology of the problem, you can talk about:

pituitary or pituitary dwarfism: the pituitary gland or the pituitary gland is responsible for production of growth hormone.

Achondroplasia (a = privation, chondros = cartilage and plásis = formation): defective bone growth from the cartilage.

Smaller people existing in the world, because of dwarfism, can reach adulthood with only 60 centimeters tall. Dwarves, however, have normal intelligence and the same capabilities of others, being limited only by his stature.

                  


What are the causes of dwarfism?

Stunting usually has genetic causes which may or may not be inherited. Sometimes, short stature results from a premature stop of skeletal growth, caused by a lack of growth hormone, secreted by the pituitary gland (pituitary dwarfism). In achondroplasia, short stature is related to deformities in the skeleton, with small arms and legs and large head, small hands and short fingers.

What might be the problems faced by the dwarves in society?

The common social life is not adapted to the deviant people like the dwarves, wheelchair users, the visually or hearing impaired, etc. and these people end up suffering a little longer to adapt to everyday life. Furthermore, social discrimination adds further difficulties to them.

Impediments inherent to his short stature and societal discrimination arise:

Often the dwarfs are (wrongly) considered ugly and incapable and treated as aberrations of nature, becoming victims of jokes and derogatory jokes that slaughter their self-esteem.
They may struggle to find jobs or establish loving relationships.

They can often face difficulties in accessing various public goods, such as telephones and toilets, bank tellers, steps, handrails, desks, shelves, transportation, etc.
What are the "symptoms" of dwarfism?

Generally people affected by pituitary dwarfism have some delay in sexual development in adolescence. Their physical characteristics are short stature, but with head and limbs in proportion to the body. People affected of achondroplasia, and the low height present defects in the spine and heart or respiratory problems that can cause complications that lead the individual to death. In them, the size of the head is out of proportion to the body, the feet are crooked, short limbs and elongated trunk.

Dwarves can also have a marked prominence of the forehead, more distant eyes, grown jaw, dental ridge and misaligned teeth.

There is "treatment" for dwarfism?

For the pituitary dwarfism (or pituitary) no treatment-based growth hormones. For achondroplasia, only some symptoms can be treated, clubfoot.

Some instances of dwarfism can still be detected during pregnancy and can be treated with medications that improve bone development. In other cases, the problem can only be detected and treated in childhood.

How evolves dwarfism?

Some dwarfs develop a so-called "malignant hyperthermia", an overheating of the body that can be aggravated by some anesthetics.

In some cases, a compression of the organs by bone structure, can reduce the life expectancy of these people. However, many of them can live normally, like any other.

Even parents of normal stature can generate a child with dwarfism and not every dwarf will generate dwarf children.