What would you have done if doctors told you your unborn child has dwarfism?

Would you have aborted it?

In relation to the previous post about how dwarfs have difficulty giving birth, this article that I found tells us about a dwarf couple having a dwarf baby. Doctors have told them to abort the baby because it has dwarfism, but the couple did not go with abortion and now, we have a happy family :)

This couple definitely has a lot of courage and I admire them for making such a difficult decision, because despite knowing the struggles of being a dwarf themselves, they rejected abortion.

And guess what? Their baby was born healthy and this shows that not all diagnoses made during pre-natal tests are 100% accurate.

Below is the link to the article:
http://www.lifenews.com/2014/12/29/doctors-told-dwarf-couple-to-have-abortion-because-their-baby-had-dwarfism-too-they-said-no/

Complications of Dwarfism

People with dwarfism usually do not only have to live with this condition, as it is accompanied by a wide range of complications - eg. excess fluid in the brain (hydrocephalus), heart problems and frequent ear infections that may lead to the loss of hearing. Weight gain can further complicate the problems as it adds pressure to the joints and nerves.

Pregnant women with dwarfism are particularly vulnerable to respiratory problems. Moreover, they are almost always required to opt for Cesarean delivery (operation) rather than natural birth. This is due to the fact that the size and shape of their pelvis doesn't allow for a successful vaginal delivery.

People with dwarfism usually have lower self-esteem due to the stereotypes and teasing from their peers. However, they are just like any of us hence we should not isolate them.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dwarfism/basics/complications/con-20032297

Curing Dwarfism?

A synthetic form of FGFR-3 is thought to be able to stop the mutant gene from functioning hence allowing bones to grow normally. It has been tested on mice but has yet to be approved to be used on humans. So far, there is no cure for dwarfism. However, the positive results of synthetic FGFR3 suggest a potential therapy for dwarfism.

Read the full article below:
http://www.healthline.com/health-news/children-decoy-protein-could-cure-achondroplasia-dwarfism-091813

Latest news about dwarfism!

While searching for dwarfism, an article that was released a day ago came up. Obviously, I went on to click it because it was new and after reading it, I felt that it was an interesting article and then it should be shared here.

This article talks about a 13 year old girl suffering from achondroplasia (a type of dwarfism) who was unable to even walk properly as it was very painful. However, she is currently going through surgeries and physiotherapies to help her walk by herself. So far, she has only operated on one of her legs and will be going through a series of extensive physiotherapy and weight bearing sessions. She will also be going through more surgeries to fix her other leg. I am very excited for this little girl and genuinely happy for her as her dream of being able to walk without pain is being realised. She's also very brave for going through so many surgeries at the young age of 13. Knowing how much she has to go through, and yet still being so optimistic, I've come to realise that I am indeed very lucky to have lived 18 years without having to go through such difficulties. It's time I stopped complaining about my life and so should you (anyone reading this)! Let's all appreciate the lives we are given :)

Here's the link to the article I'm talking about! Please do spare two/three minutes to read this, it's a really short article: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/society/dubai-girl-with-dwarfism-makes-amazing-comeback-1.1422889

If you would like to know the background story before this article, you can take a look at this article as well: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/health/dubai-girl-who-suffers-from-dwarfism-gets-ready-to-brave-a-difficult-surgery-to-straighten-her-limbs-1.1286226

Judith (the girl) is really such an optimistic sweetheart even though she's suffering so much :'(

“I am just an ordinary Sri Lankan girl who has achondroplasia, but I love my life. I have learnt that even if you are disabled, your heart isn’t” 

Let's all cheer Judith on on her tedious journey! :)

Identical but Different

Identical twin sisters Sierra and Sienna Bernal. They are the only identical twins in the world where one twin is a primordial dwarf.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/identical-twin-girls-set-apart-677618

Read about Sienna's life in her blog, "Living life Sinny-sized".
http://www.livinglifesinnysized.com/

Living with Dwarfism

  People living with dwarfism suffer not only social stigma but also body/joint pains due to nerve compression.  Most of them are also unable to carry out normal and simple activities such as reaching for the faucet across the sink. They go through stuff many of us do not and will not understand.

  So, what is it like to live with dwarfism?

  Let's find out for ourselves! Follow the steps below:

  1. Put an object in the middle of the table
  2. Get on your knees
  3. Hold your elbows in close to your body
  4. Now, reach for the object without standing up or moving your upper arm.

  If you think that itself was difficult, think about how people suffering from dwarfism have to go through this and other as frustrating and inconvenient activities every single day.

  However, people with dwarfism are able to overcome this limitation and still continue living their lives as per normal. Here's a video that tells us about the life of someone with dwarfism:

 Hopefully, you've learnt something from this post! :)



References:
http://kidshealth.org/kid/closet/movies/emily-story.html
http://www.aqppt.org/visiteur/en/quotid-en.html

What is dwarfism?

A dwarf is an adult of less than 147cm tall. Dwarfism is not a disease, but it makes a person more prone to getting other health problems.

The two main causes of human dwarfism is Hypochondroplasia, also known as Achondroplasia, and growth hormone deficiency. 

• Achondroplasia is a bone growth disorder that results in a normal sized torso but short limbs - disproportionate dwarfism. As the mutation is autosomal dominant, only about 20% of the cases are inherited. One in every 25 000 live births are affected by this disorder. 
• On the other hand, growth hormone deficiency(GHD) as the name suggests, is when the human body produces insufficient growth hormones.There is no single, definite cause of GHD.

If treated well, most people affected by dwarfism lead active lives as long as any other person.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dwarfism.html
http://www.healthline.com/health/achondroplasia#Overview1
http://psyc.jmu.edu/school/documents/GrowthHormoneDeficiency_Dwarfism_.pdf