Primordial dwarfism is a group of rare genetic disorders that cause people to be abnormally small.
Most infants with primordial dwarfism weigh less than 3 pounds at birth.
Many never grow taller than 3 feet.
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This article takes a closer look at primordial dwarfism.
The most common throw in of primordial dwarfism is MOPD throw in II.
As few as 100 individuals in North America have been identified as having MOPD pop in II.
This equates to roughly one in every three million people.
Both males and females of all ethnic backgrounds can be affected.
What Is the Difference between Dwarfism and Primordial Dwarfism?
Primordial dwarfism affects growth in the earliest stages of fetal development.
To put this in perspective, that’s about the average size of a 28-week premature newborn.
As the child develops, marked physical changes will start to be seen.
However, this doesn’t usually affect intellectual development.
People with primordial dwarfism may have skin color changes, such as patches of lighter or darker skin.
In people with PD, acanthosis nigricans is often a sign of insulin resistance and/or diabetes.
Particularly in early childhood, the failure to grow is often attributed to poor nutrition or a metabolic disorder.
A definitive diagnosis is not usually made until the child has the physical characteristics of severe dwarfism.
There is currently no effective way to increase the rate of growth in a child with primordial dwarfism.
Unlike children withhypopituitary dwarfism, the lack of normal growth is not related to a deficiency of growth hormone.
Growth hormone therapy, therefore, will have little to no effect.
Summary
Primordial dwarfism is a group of five types of dwarfism.
It is extremely rare, affecting only one in every three million people.
They also have a high risk of injuries due to weaker-than-normal joints.
Most people with primordial dwarfism do not live past 30.
Treatment is case-by-case and focuses on treating problems as they develop.
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