As a parent, it is worrying to see that your child is not growing no matter how well-fed he or she is. This can be a worrying situation for most parents. Different reasons may account for a child’s stunted growth. It ranges from diseases to birth defects.
Whereas stunted growth may be corrected, especially if it is caused by malnutrition, ones caused by dwarfism can never be corrected. It may also remain a permanent condition that the individual would have to learn to cope with.
Dwarfism, in medicine, is a condition of being undersized, or less than 127 cm (50 in) in height. Some dwarfs have been less than 64 cm (24 in) tall when fully grown. The term midget is usually applied to physically well-proportioned dwarfs.
Below are some of the known causes of dwarfism and, if possible, some ways to avoid it. It must be emphasized that in some cases, there is nothing the parent could do.
Cretinism
This is a deficiency disease caused by the congenital absence of thyroxine, a hormone secreted by the thyroid gland, and characterized by defective mental and physical development. The disease causes permanent mental retardation leading to semi-handicap conditions or semi-disability.
Women having goitre would need to speak to their doctor during prenatal care for proper early treatment. This is the best-known solution so far.
Hereditary
This refers to where a child develops dwarfism after inheriting the genes from one of the parents. This should explain why dwarfism runs through some families. People who want to avoid such conditions should endeavour to marry outside such families.
Down Syndrome
Down syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by a broad skull, blunt facial features, short stature, and learning difficulties. It is caused by the presence of an extra copy of a specific chromosome. In the third case, there is usually nothing the parents could do.
Dwarfism should not be considered strange. These children need support, love and care.
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