Dwarfism: Types, Causes, Treatments, and More
Dwarfism: Types, Causes, Treatments, and More
Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent or lessen some of the problems associated with dwarfism. People with dwarfism related to growth hormone deficiency can be treated with growth hormone.
In many cases, people with dwarfism have orthopaedic or medical complications. Treatment of those can include:
Other treatment may include:
Dwarfism
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Dwarfism Treatments
Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent or lessen some of the problems associated with dwarfism. People with dwarfism related to growth hormone deficiency can be treated with growth hormone.
In many cases, people with dwarfism have orthopaedic or medical complications. Treatment of those can include:
- Insertion of a shunt to drain excess fluid and relieve pressure on the brain
- A tracheotomy to improve breathing through small airways
- Corrective surgeries for deformities such as cleft palate, club foot, or bowed legs
- Surgery to remove tonsils or adenoids to improve breathing problems related to large tonsils, small facial structures, and/or a small chest
- Surgery to widen the spinal canal (the opening through which the spinal cord passes) to relieve spinal cord compression
Other treatment may include:
- Physical therapy to strengthen muscles and increase joint range of motion
- Back braces to improve curvature of the spine
- Placement of draining tubes in the middle ear to help prevent hearing loss due to repeated ear infections
- Orthodontic treatment to relieve crowding of teeth caused by a small jaw
- Nutritional guidance and exercise to help prevent obesity, which can aggravate skeletal problems
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