DWARFISM

WHAT IS DWARFISM?

• A person of short statue under 4' 10" as an adult.
• A large head, a flattened bridge of the nose, protruding jaw, crowded teeth

HOW COMMON IS DWARFISM?

• The condition occurs in 1 in 15,000 to 40,000 newborns.
• Achondroplasia is the most common type of short limbed dwarfism.

HOW DOES A PERSON GET DWARFISM?

• Mainly by a mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor
• It is recessive in families with no history of dwarfism.
• Genetically, it is a dominant disorder.
• There are NO known environmental factors.

WHAT GOES WRONG IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM TO CAUSE THIS?

• Weight problems
• Breathing problems
• Late development skills such as walking or sitting up
• Joint stiffness

IS A SPECIFIC NEUROTRANSMITTER ALTERED IN DWARFISM?

• There is not a specific neurotransmitter altered in dwarfism.

TREATMENTS FOR DWARFISM

• Insertion of a shunt to drain excess fluid and pressure relief on the brain
• A tracheotomy to improve breathing through small airways.
• Corrective surgeries for deformities such as cleft palate and club foot
• Surgery to widen the spinal canal

HOW DOES DWARFISM AFFECT THE THE PATIENT AND THE FAMILY?

• Achondroplasia patients often get the feeling of living in a “tall” world
• Patients can't reach shelves in shops
• The size of clothes is not suitable for patients
• Sometimes have to adjust the house

WORKS CITED

• http://www.eurordis.org/content/achondroplasia-living-tall-world
• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dwarfism.html
• http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/achondroplasia
• http://www.webmd.com/children/dwarfism-causes-treatments
• http://biodwarfism.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-does-person-inherit-dwarfism.ht...