If your child has been diagnosed with dwarfism, you're probably wondering what lies ahead for her and your family. You may be asking if your child will lead a normal life, or perhaps you're concerned about the challenges she'll face growing up with below-average height.

It may be comforting to know that your family is not alone. Although estimates vary, between one in 14,000 and one in 27,000 babies are born each year with some form of dwarfism. Many people with dwarfism and their families belong to active social and support groups for people of short stature. To learn more about the condition and living with dwarfism, read on.

What Is Dwarfism?
Dwarfism describes an unusually short stature that can arise from a variety of genetic and other conditions. The Little People of America, one of the largest and most active support groups for people with dwarfism, considers dwarfism to be an adult height of 4 feet 10 inches or less.

Many types of dwarfism are skeletal dysplasias, conditions marked by abnormal bone growth. They are divided into two types: short-trunk and short-limb dysplasias.

People with short-trunk dysplasia have a shortened trunk with relatively longer limbs, whereas those with short-limb dysplasia have a near-normal size trunk but small arms and legs. Both types cause disproportionate short stature, which means that the parts of the body are not in proportion to one another: some parts are approximately average size, whereas others are significantly shorter.

In the past, the terms "dwarfism" and "dwarf" were only used to refer to these cases of disproportionate short stature. The term "midget" was usually applied to conditions of proportionate short stature, in which all parts of the body match in size. However, the word "midget" now is considered offensive by many people of short stature and has fallen into disuse. Today the term "dwarf" also takes a back seat to "little person," "person of short stature," or "person with dwarfism." Just like anyone else, though, people of short stature most like to be known by their names instead of any identifying characteristics like dwarfism.

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