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• n  a genetic abnormality resulting in short stature

• Since early childhood, Erick Carstensen, 14, has suffered because of his stature: he is a victim of hereditary dwarfism.
• Causes of dwarfism include heredity, disease of the thyroid, pituitary or kidneys, disturbances in the changing of cartilage into bone, or essential infantilism.
• Geneticists believe that dwarfism is a classic example of Mendelian inheritance, and that it is caused by a single recessive gene.

• nanism

News & Articles

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• El Paso mom's struggle with boy's illness started with trying to learn what was wrong
  Schwartz Jampel syndrome causes muscle stiffness and weakness, abnormal bone development, and permanent bending or extension of certain joints, and it can have growth delays that result in dwarfism, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders' website.
  June 9, 2013 - El Paso Times
• Mom Forced Disabled Daughter to Have Sex With Men, Act As Prostitute
  A Minnesota mom who pimped out her severely disabled daughter has been sentenced to six months in a county workhouse. Cheryl Tchida, 51, allegedly dropped off her 19-year-old daughter – who has dwarfism and the mental capacity of a 5-year-old – at various locations during a six-week period. At those locations, the teen was gang-raped by several men. The girl was also impregnated by one of the ...
  June 9, 2013 - Opposing Views

Quotes

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• Matt Roloff in Earthtimes.org
  Carlson Hotels Worldwide is taking an important step forward for the travel industry by providing greater convenience, comfort and safety for people of short stature or with dwarfism when they travel,said Matt Roloff, owner of Direct Access...
• Robert Sapolsky in Science Daily (press release)
  There's actually a syndrome called stress dwarfism in kids who are so psychologically stressed that growth is markedly impaired,Sapolsky said.