Dwarf people are seen all over the world as abnormal beings. It is generally believed that the condition may be a form of disease or abnormality due to the odd physical appearance of those affected. Experts say it is not a disease but rather a condition as they live normal healthy lives. RALIAT AHMED writes.
It is not difficult to notice dwarf people (‘midget’ or ‘miniature’ or ‘little people’) as they are sometimes referred to because of their distinctive physical features – they are short, stocky, short legged with their heads disproportionally bigger than the rest of their bodies. They also usually have a prominent forehead and a flattened bridge of the nose.
A dwarf person’s height is less than 4 feet10 inches as an adult. There are over 200 different conditions that can cause dwarfism.
A single type, called Achondroplasia, causes about 70 percent of all dwarfism, a genetic condition that affects about 1 in 25,000 people. It makes the arms and legs short in comparison to the head and trunk. It may also be caused by low blood levels of the growth hormone (GH) during childhood. This leads to a very short height with arms and legs that are in proportion to the rest of the body.
Other causes of dwarfism such as kidney disease and problems with metabolism or hormones can also cause short stature.
However, dwarfism is actually not a disease but a condition causing the body to under-develop during childhood.
Dwarfism is a highly visible condition and unfortunately often carries negative connotations in society. Because of their unusual height, people with dwarfism often work as spectacles in entertainment and portrayed with stereotypes. For a person with dwarfism, heightism can lead to ridicule in childhood and discrimination in adulthood.
Apart from those distinctive features, a dwarf is just like any normal person, as intelligent as anyone and they live normal lives.
In Nigeria, the stigmatisation of dwarf people also exist - the Yorubas refer to them as rara, the Igbos call them nwanshi,while the Hausas call them wada.Other tribes have their own names for them which are all derogatory.
There are said to be 1 dwarf person per 20,000 people in the world, though this is very much a rough estimate as the number varies from country to country plus or minus.
According to Dr. Folusho Omojowo, most people see dwarfs as abnormal beings or people suffering from one disease or the other. But it is not a disease even though, in some cases, there might be risk of some health problems.
“Medically, there are over 200 conditions that can cause dwarfism, each with its own distinct features and symptoms. Some of these conditions have genetic and mutational causes but they all have one thing in common - short height compared to an average adult, while other conditions are caused by genes inherited from one or both parents, Omojowo explained
The physician also pointed out that, an abnormal bone development (skeletal dysplasias) is one of the most common causes of dwarfism. This condition affects the bone and cartilage growth and typically thereby, resulting in disproportionate short stature. Most skeletal dysplasias are caused by a spondyloepipheseal genetic mutation in the egg or sperm cells prior to conception.
Other causes of dwarfism include metabolic or hormonal disorders in infancy or childhood, chromosomal abnormalities, pituitary gland disorders (which influence growth and metabolism),absorptive problems (when the body can’t absorb nutrients adequately), and kidney disease can all lead to short stature if a child fails to grow at a normal rate, he said.
Ms.Pauline Okojie, a psychologist says that dwarfism is a condition that is not fully understood by the public at large. Dwarfs are most times made jest of and described in uncomplimentary ways which makes them feel very bad, vulnerable and easily humiliated.
“However, the reality is that dwarfs have the ability to accomplish just as much as or more than a normal size person if environmental barriers that impede them are minimised. People of average height often hold misconceptions about people with dwarfism, believing they have limited intellectual abilities or personality disorders but this is not so,” Okojie notes.
The psychologist also noted that because in most cases maturity is judged by height rather than age, dwarfs are always treated or addressed as children.This discrimination extends to society and communities where they live. This stigma and discriminations affects their self perception and self worth, which consequently impacts on their ability to exploit their full potential. However, being a dwarf is only one of the characteristics that make the sufferers who they are.
Some legendary dwarf people
1- Danny Devito-This huge movie star stands at just 4ft’ 11inches tall. He was born in Neptune , New Jersey , to a middle class family, and decided to go into acting at an early age.
2-Gary Coleman (height 4ft’8inches ) - most famous for his role as Arnold Jackson in ‘Different Strokes’, an American TV series.
3- Warwick Davis – Currently one of the world’s prolific midget actors.
4- Michael J. Anderson – One of television’s most iconic, not to mention creepiest, performances of the 1990’s.
5-Verne Troyer – One of the most identifiable midget actors in the current pop culture scene.
6-David Rappaport – Though late, he is possibly one of the most talented midget actors of our time.
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