Primordial dwarfism is a type of dwarfism characterized by unusually small size at all ages, including in utero. This condition is often identified when a child reaches two or three years of age without meeting normal growth targets, suggesting that he or she has a condition that has led to primordial dwarfism, and usually becomes apparent by age five. years. The life expectancy of people with primordial dwarfism is around 30 years as it is often accompanied by medical complications such as vascular disorders.
Rather than being a specific form of dwarfism, primordial dwarfism is the name for a family of conditions that cause similar symptoms. Russel-Silver syndrome and Seckel syndrome, among others, can cause primordial dwarfism. Most of the disorders that cause this type of dwarfism are skeletal or endocrine in nature and are not curable, although the symptoms can be treated and controlled. Along with dwarfism, these conditions can cause other medical problems, ranging from seizures to an unusually shaped head.
Signs of primordial dwarfism emerge early, although they may take some time to identify. In general, when ultrasounds are done, the fetus is unusually small for its gestational age. Because many things can cause this, it can be identified as something to watch for, but not necessarily a cause for concern. When the baby is born, it will be smaller than most babies born at the same gestational age, and the baby will also not grow as expected after birth. As the child gets older, a doctor will realize that the child has some form of dwarfism, and testing may be combined with careful monitoring of the patient to determine the cause.
In primordial dwarfism, the patient's body is often proportionally smaller, in contrast to other forms of dwarfism, in which different body parts may not be in proportion to each other. Some patients develop microcephaly, in which their heads do not grow at the same rate as their bodies, and this can lead to a variety of medical problems. Despite being smaller than expected, a patient with primordial dwarfism may be exactly like other children in other ways, such as the rate of mental development.
People with primordial dwarfism and other dwarfism disorders often struggle to be accepted into society. Historically, people with dwarfism were kept almost like pets by royalty, used for entertainment and fun. In the modern era, people with dwarfism, who may refer to themselves as midgets, runts, or little people, depending on their personal preferences, may find it difficult to navigate a world designed for larger people. Many people with dwarfism also find that larger people assume their intellects are dwarfed along with their bodies, although this is not the case.