[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]In my WIP I wanted one of the characters to be between 120-140cm. She is an adult woman (in her thirties) and I wanted to know if what I imagined her to be like would be realistic or not, and if yes, what exactly could be the medical reason for her condition.
There are many different causes for dwarfism and I'm everything but an expert, so I found research to be really complicated and confusing.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I wanted her body to be proportionate or at least quite proportionate, so I'm afraid achondroplasia (the most common cause for dwarfism) won't work(?).
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Then there should not be major health problems. Hypotonia is what Wikipedia names as common in little people, and I considered this would work and I'd also be okay with everything that does not cause her constant pain, restricted mobility or need of medical treatment etc - it's just that the story is not focusing on dwarfism, so I can't go on and on researching and considering the effects of eventual joint problems or arthritis or whatever, this would be too much distraction from the main plot. She is just one character taking part in many major plot events, which means things that can be physically exhausting and dangerous, and I need her to actively participate and not being "dragged along" by the other characters. Thus, no osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) either, and I've read that spyndyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED) and diastrophic dysplasia are usually clearly visible and also accompanied by many health problems and restricted mobility as well, so if that's true I'd also have to exclude those.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I've been thinking about growth hormone deficiency, but the homepage of "Little People of America" states that this can usually be medically treated, so I guess people of short stature because of GHD do not really exist in modern western countries? Or if they do, what could be the reason there has been no treatment?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]She has grown up in a country you can compare to modern day USA, regarding medical and technical knowledge and everything. Her parents were of normal height, even above average, and her sister as well. The mother was an anorexic, so if this (mother not eating enough while pregnant) could be a possible cause or influence I'd be fine with that - I know only that not eating enough during pregnancy can lead to a newborn being too small and lightweight, but I've no idea if such a person will always stay like that.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Otherwise: I've read about hypochondroplasia and I wondered if anyone of you is familiar with it and thinks it would work?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Or how about other causes/disorders you could think of?[/FONT]
There are many different causes for dwarfism and I'm everything but an expert, so I found research to be really complicated and confusing.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I wanted her body to be proportionate or at least quite proportionate, so I'm afraid achondroplasia (the most common cause for dwarfism) won't work(?).
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Then there should not be major health problems. Hypotonia is what Wikipedia names as common in little people, and I considered this would work and I'd also be okay with everything that does not cause her constant pain, restricted mobility or need of medical treatment etc - it's just that the story is not focusing on dwarfism, so I can't go on and on researching and considering the effects of eventual joint problems or arthritis or whatever, this would be too much distraction from the main plot. She is just one character taking part in many major plot events, which means things that can be physically exhausting and dangerous, and I need her to actively participate and not being "dragged along" by the other characters. Thus, no osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) either, and I've read that spyndyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED) and diastrophic dysplasia are usually clearly visible and also accompanied by many health problems and restricted mobility as well, so if that's true I'd also have to exclude those.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I've been thinking about growth hormone deficiency, but the homepage of "Little People of America" states that this can usually be medically treated, so I guess people of short stature because of GHD do not really exist in modern western countries? Or if they do, what could be the reason there has been no treatment?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]She has grown up in a country you can compare to modern day USA, regarding medical and technical knowledge and everything. Her parents were of normal height, even above average, and her sister as well. The mother was an anorexic, so if this (mother not eating enough while pregnant) could be a possible cause or influence I'd be fine with that - I know only that not eating enough during pregnancy can lead to a newborn being too small and lightweight, but I've no idea if such a person will always stay like that.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Otherwise: I've read about hypochondroplasia and I wondered if anyone of you is familiar with it and thinks it would work?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Or how about other causes/disorders you could think of?[/FONT]
