Causes of restricted growth

Restricted growth (dwarfism) may be caused by many different medical conditions, and is more noticeable in some conditions than others.

Causes of proportionate short stature

The main cause of proportionate short stature (PSS) is being born to small parents.

A less common cause is the body not producing enough growth hormone, which is estimated toaffect one inevery 3,500 to 4,000 children.

Thismay be present at birth,because of problems with the pituitary gland (a pea-sized gland below the brain responsible for producing several important hormones)or as part of another condition. Itcan alsostart in childhood, as the result of an injury, a Brain tumours or radiotherapy to the brain.

In about half of children with growth hormone deficiency, the cause is unknown.

Other possible causes of PSS include:

• long-term conditions suchas those affecting the lungs, heart or kidneys
• steroid treatment for a chronic condition such as asthma
• genetic abnormalities such as Down's syndrome , Noonan syndrome , Turner syndrome , Prader-Willi syndrome andshort stature homeobox-containing gene (SHOX) deficiency
• malnutrition or poor absorption of food for example, in coeliac disease

If your child is diagnosed with restricted growth, tests may be carried out to try to identify the underlying cause.

The affected genes stop the bones and cartilage developing properly, leading to restricted growth that isoften noticeablefrom birth.

Many children born with DSS have parents of average height and the change to the gene happens by chance. However, people with conditions that cause DSS may pass their condition on to their children.

The most common cause of DSS is a condition called achondroplasia, which is estimated to affect around one in every 25,000 people.

Other conditions that cause DSS include:

• hypochondroplasia
• mucopolysaccharide disease
• diastrophic dysplasia
• spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia
• multiple epiphyseal dysplasia
• pseudoachondroplasia
• Conradi syndrome
• Ellis-van Creveld syndrome

You can read moreabout someofthese rare conditions on the Restricted Growth Association website .