proportionate dwarfism *without* medical complications

I think that you are looking for someone to be extremely short, rather than having dwarfism. There are adults who are less than 4'6" tall who are not genetically dwarves.

Apparently the upper height limit for a dwarf is 4ft 10. I only know this because my mam is 4ft 11.

I suppose anything is possible, but most dwarfs have a vast array of medical problems. As far as I know there is no such thing as a proportional dwarf with nothing medically wrong with them. A dwarf isn't just a person of short stature, it is a genetic condition that lends itself to a host of other problems sytems-wide.

Most types of dwarfism are known as skeletal dysplasias, which are conditions of abnormal bone growth. They're divided into two types: short-trunk and short-limb dysplasias. People with short-trunk dysplasia have a shortened trunk with longer limbs, whereas those with short-limb dysplasia have an average-sized trunk but small arms and legs. There are also Primordial dwarfs which is an entirely different ball of wax.

By far, the most common skeletal dysplasia is achondroplasia, a short-limb dysplasia that occurs in about 1 of every 26,000 to 40,000 babies of all races and ethnicities. It can be caused by a spontaneous mutation in one gene or a child can inherit the gene from a parent who has achondroplasia. People with achondroplasia have a relatively long trunk and shortened upper parts of their arms and legs. They may share other features as well, such as a large head with a prominent forehead, a flattened bridge of the nose, shortened hands and fingers, and reduced muscle tone. The average adult height for someone with achondroplasia is about 4 feet.

Diastrophic dysplasia is another, less common form of short-limb dwarfism. It occurs in about 1 in 100,000 births, and is also sometimes characterized by cleft palate, clubfeet, and ears with a cauliflower appearance. People who have it tend to have shortened forearms and calves (this is known as mesomelic shortening).

Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasias (SED) refers to a group of short-trunk skeletal conditions that affect about 1 in 95,000 babies. Along with achondroplasia and diastrophic dysplasia, it is one of the most common forms of dwarfism. In some forms, a lack of growth in the trunk area may not become apparent until the child is between 5 and 10 years old; other forms are apparent at birth. Often, kids with this disorder also have clubfeet, cleft palate, and a barrel-chested appearance.

In general, dwarfism caused by skeletal dysplasias results in what is known as disproportionate short stature — meaning the limbs are short in comparison with the rest of the body. Metabolic or hormonal disorders typically cause proportionate dwarfism, meaning a person's arms, legs, and trunk are all shortened but remain in proportion to overall body size.

Short stature is the one quality all people with dwarfism have in common. After that, each of the many conditions that cause dwarfism has its own set of characteristics and possible complications. Fortunately, many of these complications are treatable, so that people of short stature can lead healthy, active lives.
For example, some babies with achondroplasia may experience hydrocephalus (excess fluid around the brain). They may also have a greater risk of developing apnea — a temporary stop in breathing during sleep — because of abnormally small or misshapen airways or, more likely, because of airway obstruction by the adenoids or the tonsils. Occasionally, a part of the brain or spinal cord is compressed. With close monitoring by doctors, however, these potentially serious problems can be detected early and surgically corrected.

As a child with dwarfism grows, other issues may also become apparent, including:

• delayed development of some motor skills, such as sitting up and walking
• a greater susceptibility to ear infections and hearing loss
• breathing problems caused by small chests
• weight problems
• curvature of the spine (scoliosis)
• bowed legs
• trouble with joint flexibility and early arthritis
• lower back pain or leg numbness
• crowding of teeth in the jaw

Proper medical care can alleviate many of these problems. For example, surgery can often bring relief from the pain of joints that wear out under the stress of bearing weight differently with limited flexibility. Surgery also can be used to improve some of the leg, hip, and spine problems people with short stature sometimes face.

Depending on your story and what kind of background your character needs to have, something like psychogenic dwarfism might work (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogenic_dwarfism).

Proportional dwarfism is generally caused by low growth hormone levels, so you'd need to look up the possible implications of that. Realize, too, that proportional dwarfism is sometimes linked to both intellectual and sexual development problems.

Not an expert here, though I did do a school paper on dwarfism when I was younger.

There are 200+ types of dwarfism currently defined. For once, I have a good link. (Youngest is FTT for no apparent medical reason, and I've done a TON of research trying to figure out why)

fourlittlebees said:

There are 200+ types of dwarfism currently defined. For once, I have a good link. (Youngest is FTT for no apparent medical reason, and I've done a TON of research trying to figure out why)

Click to expand...

I had no idea. That is a good bit of info. Thanks.