Contents:
- Medical Video: What Is The Cretinism?
- Short body because of dwarfism or cretinism?
- Different definition
- Different causes
- 3. Symptoms caused
Medical Video: What Is The Cretinism?
Have you ever read the fairy tale "Snow White and 7 Dwarfs"? Apparently, a dwarf-like person is not only in fairy tales. This short, abnormal body is owned by people who experience dwarfism or cretinism. Dwarfism and cretinism are both caused by the problematic growth of the Human Growth Hormone (HGH), but these two conditions are different things.
So, to find out more clearly what are the differences in dwarfism with cretinism, consider the following review.
Short body because of dwarfism or cretinism?
Different definition
Dwarfism is a condition of physical abnormalities that makes a person have a very short body. However, not all short people must have dwarfism.
The term dwarfism was initiated by the advocacy group Little People of America (LPA) to describe people who have a height of about 120-140 cm when they grow up. That's why dwarfism is also often referred to as dwarf human disease.
In general, dwarfism is divided into two broad categories:
- Disproportionate dwarfism: This condition describes a body size that is not different, not as a whole dwarfed. Some body parts can be small, while their body size is average or above the average size.
- Proportional dwarfism: This condition causes the entire body to be small and short, looking proportional. If this condition appears at an early age, this can limit your bone growth.
Then, disproportionate dwarfism is categorized into 3 types, namely achondroplasia, spondyloepiphyeal congenital dysplasia (SEDC), and diastropic dysplasia.
Meanwhile, cretinism is an advanced condition that occurs when congenital hypothyroidism is not cured. Untreated hypothyroidism can cause growth failure and limited intelligence in children. Cretinism does not have a different type.
Different causes
Short bodies due to dwarfism are most commonly caused by genetic disorders since the womb is derived from one or both parents. Another possible cause of dwarfism is a bone growth disorder that makes the stature smaller than normal. This can occur due to metabolic disorders or problems with malnutrition that interfere with growth hormones. This disorder inhibits bone development.
As explained above, cretinism occurs as a continuation of congenital hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid disorder in children. The function of the thyroid gland is very important because it affects the development of the brain and body. This failure to grow can occur due to genetic disorders that make the thyroid gland not produce enough growth hormone (HGH) needed.
Some possible causes of cretinism include:
- The absence of the thyroid gland or the presence of defects in the thyroid gland.
- Iodine deficiency during pregnancy.
- Mother has an illness in the thyroid gland during pregnancy.
- The pituitary gland in the brain does not function properly so that the thyroid gland also works abnormally.
3. Symptoms caused
Although both make the body shorter, other signs and symptoms shown by each of these conditions are different.
Signs and symptoms of dwarfism may differ depending on the type of dwarfism experienced. However, generally dwarfism shows symptoms:
- Very short arms and legs
- Short arms and legs; the fingers also look short; thumb deformity
- Limited elbow movement
- Large and disproportionate head size
- Leg letter O (club bent)
- Height is only about 91-122 cm
- Has a short neck
- The mouth is always open
- The upper spine bends
- Having hearing and vision problems
- Has a more field chest
- Have joint inflammation
- Limited body movement
- Difficulty moving
- Difficulty breathing
- Late puberty or not puberty
- Body development is not in accordance with the growth rate at normal age.
Meanwhile, the symptoms of cretinism include:
- A newborn baby's face looks swollen and dull
- The tongue appears enlarged, thick, and protruding
- Jaundice (skin discoloration and white to yellow)
- The sudden change in body weight
- The pulse slows down
- Breathless
- Babies look short-bodied
Dwarfism and cretinism can look similar. But to be more certain, you should consult with your doctor to get a precise diagnosis. After the diagnosis is obtained, treatment can be done according to your condition.
