I was discussing this earlier today with my girlfriend. How small are newborn midgets and dwarfs, really? Are they about the same as regular infants and then develop their bodies differently, or are they just really small even to begin with?
First, forget the midget term. It’s outdated and some people get really offended by it.
Secondly, it probably depends on the type of dwarfism the kid has. I think most of them with achondroplasia are pretty much normal sized, though their proportions look a bit off to the educated eye. I have a far rarer type and I weighed six pounds at birth, and nobody knew there was anything odd about me until I was nine months old and they found I had scoliosis.
I can ask some other people who would know more, but as far as I know most aren’t unusually small at birth – not taking prematurity into it, anyway.
Dwarfism is a result of a autosomal gene mutation which affects skeletal growth. Dwarfs are disproportionate in size (i.e., normal trunk size but short legs and arms). A midget is normally proportioned but smaller than usual and the condition is caused by a hormonal deficiency (which is now treatable).
My guess is that each would be born normal-sized at birth, however, physical evidence of the gene mutation that results in dwarfism may be visible at birth.
If you have the Discovery Health channel, they do a couple different programs on dwarfism. The one baby looked very normal at first, but then the telltale signs began showing relatively quickly.
The other show was of a dwarf couple who had four kids, two average sized and two little people.
Yet another was an average guy who married one of the very smallest dwarfs alive today. And they had a baby.
It’s a fascinating subject. Including the surgeries they do to make some dwarfs arms and legs normal length.
I knew a little girl with dwarfism, and she looked ordinary at birth. By the time she was two you could tell, but even then it wasn’t very easy, because she often wore dresses and it wasn’t obvious unless she was running.
Medical people don’t use the term midget anymore. And among dwarfs (or little people, or whatever, I don’t like any of the terms much) it’s usually considered derogatory. Really, it’s best avoided.
What’s the correct term for what used to be known as a midget? Do they call it by the genetic term? Or are they grouped in with “little people”?
I hope I didn’t confuse the issue more. I know “dwarf” or “little people” is correct. But for the people who are born proportionate but very small, what do we call them?
Dwarfs or little people.
The linguistic distinction between proportionate dwarfism and dysplastic dwarfism now relies on the use of appropriate modifiers.
Thanks.
I was going to explain that a bit more. I guess I wasn’t very clear. I don’t think there are too many proportionate people out there these days anyway, though I once met a woman who was very small due to some kidney disorder.