Research Paper on Dwarfism

Research Paper:

Dwarfism

Genres

Semester 1

 August 26, 2014

Dwarfism

        Have you ever been out in public and seen someone who appears to be abnormally smaller than usual for there age? That’s a condition called dwarfism. There are several different types of dwarfism, Achondroplasia, Diastrophic dysplasia and Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia. In the next few paragraphs I will be explaining the types of dwarfism, the causes, signs and symptoms, treatments and how it’s diagnosed.  Dwarfism is an abnormal condition in the body that doesn’t allow it to grow to the bodies average height. The condition doesn’t let the body grow no more than 4 feet 10 inches (Duker 1).

Most dwarfs get the condition genetically. The gene could have been inherited or it may have just been a gene change that happened first in the egg or sperm cell before conception. Some other types of dwarfism could have been caused by a growth hormone deficiency, it may have even been because the child’s body didn’t absorb any nutrients needed for growth. It’s not always the case where two normal sized parents have a normal sized child, In some cases dwarfs can also have a normal sized child and vice-versa (Duker 2).

Achondroplasia is known as the most common in dwarfism (Duker 3).

This condition does not allow the body to create cartilage to the bone while growing, usually in the arms and legs. Dwards with this condition have an average size torso but shorter arms and legs, because of this they typically have a swayed back. Complications that are most common are reduced muscle tone, reoccuring ear infections, sleep apnea and a sway lower back (Mayo Clinic). The second most common type of dwarfism is Diastrophic dysplasia it occurs in about 1 of every 100,000 births (Duker 2). The difference is that these type of people usually have shorter calves and forearms, also curvature of the spine. Common complications would be cleft palate, hand or ear difference, clubfoot, early deterioration of the joints and hip/knee dislocation. The last is spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia. This type is a rare kind of dwarfism that is only seen in 1 and 95,000 births. It is more commonly known as SED (Duker 3). The abnormal growth of bone and connective tissue can cause a small torso, neck and limbs but normal sized hands and feet. Complications result in clubfoot, curvature of the spine, reduced joint movement and vision issues.