Dwarfism is a growth disorder characterized by a height that is much lower than the average of people of the same race and age. Someone who has dwarfism is called a dwarf , although the term may be considered offensive.
Mockery towards people with dwarfism is very common, and this lack of respect can be seen especially in the world of entertainment, where dwarfs tend to be "funny" figures, simply because of the characteristics of their bodies. Comedy programs very frequently resort to dwarfism to get easy laughs and this educates society in the lack of compassion in an extremely dangerous way, which is then reflected in school, in the office and on public roads.
The individual with dwarfism not only does not reach the average size of its species , but is very far from it. For reference, it can be said that women with a height of less than 1.30 meters and men who are less than 1.40 meters tall suffer from dwarfism, although the condition depends on multiple factors.
The causes of dwarfism can be diverse. A genetic alteration , a deficiency in growth hormone , and diseases and disorders such as achondroplasia , hypochondroplasia , and cretinism can cause the development of dwarfism.
The most common reason for dwarfism is achondroplasia, caused by an alteration of deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA ) that affects the formation of cartilage. This mutation causes the long bones to become shorter, resulting in arms and legs that are shorter than usual. This form of dwarfism is also often characterized by macrocephaly.
The person with dwarfism due to achondroplasia, therefore, usually has a large head, a normal trunk and very short limbs. At the moment there is no known effective treatment to resolve the disorder.
In the case of those who have dwarfism due to problems in the pituitary gland (gland that produces an insufficient amount of growth hormone), however, they can receive treatments that consist of the supply of the hormone in question.
Broadly speaking, it is possible to differentiate two fairly broad categories of dwarfism, which allow a more limited study of the causes and symptoms, while carrying out research to find effective treatments:
* disproportionate dwarfism : as its name indicates, it is one that has incorrect proportions in the body. We can say that these people have some parts that are smaller than normal and others that are larger than normal or average in size. In these cases there is a clear inhibition of bone growth;
* proportionate dwarfism : individuals in this group have bodies of excessively short stature but the dimensions of all their parts are proportionally smaller. Here we can talk about certain diseases that are already present at the time of birth or that manifest during early childhood, and that block the normal development of the body.
It is very important to note that dwarfism does not directly lead to a deficiency in the individual's intellectual abilities, which can occur as a result of secondary factors, such as hydrocephalus (an excessive amount of fluid in the brain ).
No one should feel sorry for people with dwarfism, or think that their lives are necessarily limited by their height. In fact, many of them achieve as much or more than those with "normal" bodies. Such is the case of Peter Dinklage , one of the greatest exponents of North American cinema and television. He is an actor born in 1969, who has participated in the series Game of Thrones and the film X-men: days of future past , among other titles of great importance.