Dwarfism is a condition wherein an
organism
In biology, an organism () is any living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells ( cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy into groups such as multicellular animals, plants, and fu ...
is exceptionally small, and mostly occurs in the animal kingdom. In humans, it is sometimes defined as
an adult height of less than , regardless of sex; the average adult height among people with dwarfism is , although some individuals with dwarfism are slightly taller.
''Disproportionate dwarfism'' is characterized by either
short limbs or a short torso. In cases of ''proportionate dwarfism'', both the limbs and torso are unusually small. Intelligence is usually normal, and most have a nearly normal life expectancy.
People with dwarfism can usually
bear children, though there are
additional risks to the mother and child dependent upon the underlying condition.
The most common and recognisable form of dwarfism in humans (comprising 70% of cases) is
achondroplasia, a
genetic disorder
A genetic disorder is a health problem caused by one or more abnormalities in the genome. It can be caused by a mutation in a single gene (monogenic) or multiple genes (polygenic) or by a chromosomal abnormality. Although polygenic disorders ...
whereby the limbs are diminutive.
Growth hormone deficiency
Growth hormone deficiency (GHD), or human growth hormone deficiency, is a medical condition resulting from not enough growth hormone (GH). Generally the most noticeable symptom is that an individual attains a short height. Newborns may also prese ...
is responsible for most other cases.
Treatment depends on the underlying cause.
Those with genetic disorders can sometimes be treated with surgery or physical therapy.
Hormone disorders
Endocrine diseases are disorders of the endocrine system. The branch of medicine associated with endocrine disorders is known as endocrinology.
Types of disease
Broadly speaking, endocrine disorders may be subdivided into three groups:
# Endocr ...
can also be treated with
growth hormone therapy before the child's
growth plates fuse. Individual accommodations, such as specialized furniture, are often used by people with dwarfism.
Many
support groups provide services to aid individuals and the
discrimination
Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of Racial discrimination, r ...
they may face.
In addition to the medical aspect of the condition, there are also social aspects. For a person with dwarfism,
height discrimination can lead to ridicule in childhood and discrimination in adulthood.
In the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, and other
English-speaking countries
The following is a list of English-speaking population by country, including information on both native speakers and second-language speakers.
List
* The European Union is a supranational union composed of 27 member states. The total E ...
, labels that some people with dwarfism accept include ''dwarf'' (plural: ''dwarfs''), ''little person'' (LP), or ''person of short stature'' (see
Terminology).
Historically, the term "
midget" was used to describe dwarfs (primarily proportionate); however, this term is now regarded as offensive.
Signs and symptoms
A defining characteristic of dwarfism is an adult height less than the 2.3rd percentile of the CDC standard growth charts. There is a wide range of physical characteristics. Variations in individuals are identified by diagnosing and monitoring the underlying disorders. There may not be any complications outside adapting to their size.
Short stature is a common replacement of the term 'dwarfism', especially in a medical context. Short stature is clinically defined as a height within the lowest 2.3% of those in the general population. However, those with mild skeletal
dysplasias may not be affected by dwarfism. In some cases of untreated
hypochondroplasia, males grow up to . Though that is short in a relative context, it does not fall into the extreme ranges of the growth charts.
Disproportionate dwarfism is characterized by shortened limbs or a shortened torso. In
achondroplasia one has an average-sized trunk with short limbs and a larger forehead.
Facial features are often affected and individual body parts may have problems associated with them.
Spinal stenosis,
ear infection, and
hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is a condition in which an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) occurs within the brain. This typically causes increased pressure inside the skull. Older people may have headaches, double vision, poor balance, urinary i ...
are common. In case of spinal
dysostosis, one has a small trunk, with average-sized limbs.
Proportionate dwarfism is marked by a short torso with short limbs,
thus leading to a height that is significantly below average. There may be long periods without any significant growth.
Sexual development is often delayed or impaired into adulthood. This dwarfism type is caused by an
endocrine disorder and not a skeletal dysplasia.
Physical effects of malformed bones vary according to the specific disease. Many involve joint pain caused by abnormal bone alignment, or from
nerve compression.
Early degenerative joint disease, exaggerated
lordosis or
scoliosis, and constriction of
spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the sp ...
or nerve roots can cause pain and disability.
Reduced
thoracic size can restrict lung growth and reduce pulmonary function. Some forms of dwarfism are associated with disordered function of other organs, such as the
brain
A brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as Visual perception, vision. I ...
or
liver
The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it i ...
, sometimes severely enough to be more of an impairment than the unusual bone growth.
Mental effects also vary according to the specific underlying syndrome. In most cases of skeletal dysplasia, such as achondroplasia, mental function is not impaired.
However, there are syndromes which can affect the cranial structure and growth of the brain, severely impairing mental capacity. Unless the brain is directly affected by the underlying disorder, there is little to no chance of mental impairment that can be attributed to dwarfism.
The psycho-social limitations of society may be more disabling than the physical symptoms, especially in childhood and adolescence, but people with dwarfism vary greatly in the degree to which social participation and emotional health are affected.
* Social prejudice against extreme shortness may reduce social and marital opportunities.
* Numerous studies have demonstrated reduced employment opportunities. Severe shortness is associated with lower income.
*
Self-esteem may decline and family relationships may be affected.
* Extreme shortness (in the range) can, if not accommodated for, interfere with
activities of daily living, like driving or using countertops built for taller people. Other common attributes of dwarfism such as bowed knees and unusually short fingers can lead to back problems and difficulty in walking and handling objects.
* Children with dwarfism are particularly vulnerable to teasing and ridicule from classmates. Because dwarfism is relatively uncommon, children may feel isolated from their peers.
Causes
Dwarfism can result from many medical conditions, each with its own separate symptoms and causes. Extreme shortness in humans with proportional body parts usually has a hormonal cause, such as
growth-hormone deficiency, once called ''pituitary dwarfism''.
Achondroplasia is responsible for the majority of human dwarfism cases, followed by
spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia and
diastrophic dysplasia.
Achondroplasia
The most recognizable and most common form of dwarfism in humans is achondroplasia, which accounts for 70% of dwarfism cases, and occurs in 4 to 15 out of 100,000 live births.
It produces rhizomelic short limbs, increased spinal curvature, and distortion of skull growth. In achondroplasia the body's limbs are proportionately shorter than the trunk (abdominal area), with a larger head than average and characteristic facial features. Achondroplasia is an
autosomal dominant disorder caused by the presence of an altered
allele
An allele (, ; ; modern formation from Greek ἄλλος ''állos'', "other") is a variation of the same sequence of nucleotides at the same place on a long DNA molecule, as described in leading textbooks on genetics and evolution.
::"The chrom ...
in the genome. If a pair of achondroplasia alleles are present, the result is fatal. Achondroplasia is a mutation in the
fibroblast growth factor receptor 3. In the context of achondroplasia, this mutation causes FGFR3 to become constitutively active, inhibiting bone growth.
Growth hormone deficiency
Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a medical condition in which the body produces insufficient
growth hormone
Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in ...
. Growth hormone, also called
somatotropin
Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in ...
, is a
polypeptide hormone
A hormone (from the Greek participle , "setting in motion") is a class of signaling molecules in multicellular organisms that are sent to distant organs by complex biological processes to regulate physiology and behavior. Hormones are required ...
which stimulates
growth
Growth may refer to:
Biology
* Auxology, the study of all aspects of human physical growth
* Bacterial growth
* Cell growth
* Growth hormone, a peptide hormone that stimulates growth
* Human development (biology)
* Plant growth
* Secondary grow ...
and cell reproduction. If this hormone is lacking, stunted or even halted growth may become apparent. Children with this disorder may grow slowly and puberty may be delayed by several years or indefinitely. Growth hormone deficiency has no single definite cause. It can be caused by mutations of specific genes, damage to the pituitary gland,
Turner's syndrome, poor nutrition,
or even stress (leading to
psychogenic dwarfism
Psychosocial short stature (PSS) is a growth disorder that is observed between the ages of 2 and 15, caused by extreme emotional deprivation or stress.
The symptoms include decreased growth hormone (GH) and somatomedin secretion, very short sta ...
).
Laron syndrome
Laron syndrome (LS), also known as growth hormone insensitivity or growth hormone receptor deficiency (GHRD), is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a lack of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1; somatomedin) production in response t ...
(growth hormone insensitivity) is another cause. Those with growth hormone issues tend to be proportionate.
Metatropic dysplasia
Metatropic means "changing form" and refers to this form of skeletal dysplasia as there is an abnormality in the growth plates. Skeletal changes continue over time and may need surgical intervention to help protect the lungs.
Symptoms starting at birth may be mild or can be fatal.
There are recognizable features in individuals with this genetic disorder. Some are short stature, narrow chest, " facial features such as a prominent forehead, underdevelopment of the upper jaw, cheekbones and eye sockets (midface hypoplasia), and a squared-off jaw."
It is considered a more severe skeletal dysplasia, but is very rare, with the exact number of those affected unknown.
Prognosis is largely on a case-by-case basis depending on the severity, and life expectancy may not be impacted unless there are respiratory complications.
Other
Other causes of dwarfism are
spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita,
diastrophic dysplasia,
pseudoachondroplasia
Pseudoachondroplasia is an inherited disorder of bone growth. It is a genetic autosomal dominant disorder. It is generally not discovered until 2–3 years of age, since growth is normal at first. Pseudoachondroplasia is usually first detected b ...
,
hypochondroplasia,
Noonan syndrome,
primordial dwarfism,
Cockayne syndrome,
Kniest dysplasia,
Turner syndrome
Turner syndrome (TS), also known as 45,X, or 45,X0, is a genetic condition in which a female is partially or completely missing an X chromosome. Signs and symptoms vary among those affected. Often, a short and webbed neck, low-set ears, low h ...
,
osteogenesis imperfecta
Osteogenesis imperfecta (; OI), colloquially known as brittle bone disease, is a group of genetic disorders that all result in bones that break easily. The range of symptoms—on the skeleton as well as on the body's other organs—may be ...
(OI), and
hypothyroidism. Severe shortness with skeletal distortion also occurs in several of the
Mucopolysaccharidoses
Mucopolysaccharidoses are a group of metabolic disorders caused by the absence or malfunctioning of lysosomal enzymes needed to break down molecules called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). These long chains of sugar carbohydrates occur within the cells ...
and other
storage disorders.
Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism may cause proportionate, yet temporary, dwarfism.
NPR2 disproportionate dwarfism was discovered recently and is caused by a mutant gene.
Serious chronic illnesses may produce dwarfism as a side effect. Harsh environmental conditions, such as malnutrition, may also produce dwarfism. These types of dwarfism are indirect consequences of the generally unhealthy or malnourished condition of the individual, and not of any specific disease. The dwarfism often takes the form of simple short stature, without any deformities, thus leading to proportionate dwarfism. In societies where poor nutrition is widespread, the average height of the population may be reduced below its genetic potential by the lack of proper nutrition. Sometimes there is no definitive cause of short stature.
Diagnosis
Dwarfism is often diagnosed in childhood on the basis of visible symptoms. A physical examination can usually suffice to diagnose certain types of dwarfism, but
genetic testing and diagnostic imaging may be used to determine the exact condition.
In a person's youth, growth charts that track height can be used to diagnose subtle forms of dwarfism that have no other striking physical characteristics.
Short stature or stunted growth during youth is usually what brings the condition to medical attention. Skeletal
dysplasia is usually suspected because of obvious physical features (e.g., unusual configuration of face or shape of skull), because of an obviously affected parent, or because body measurements (arm span, upper to lower segment ratio) indicate disproportion.
Bone X-rays are often key to diagnosing a specific skeletal dysplasia, but are not the sole diagnostic tool. Most children with suspected skeletal dysplasias are referred to a genetics clinic for diagnostic confirmation and
genetic counseling. Since about the year 2000, genetic tests for some of the specific disorders have become available.
During an initial medical evaluation of shortness, the absence of disproportion and other clues listed above usually indicates causes other than bone dysplasias.
Classification
In men and women, the sole requirement for being considered a dwarf is having an adult height under and it is almost always sub-classified with respect to the underlying condition that is the cause of the short stature. Dwarfism is usually caused by a genetic variant; achondroplasia is caused by a mutation on
chromosome 4. If dwarfism is caused by a medical disorder, the person is referred to by the underlying diagnosed disorder. Disorders causing dwarfism are often classified by proportionality. Disproportionate dwarfism describes disorders that cause unusual proportions of the body parts, while proportionate dwarfism results in a generally uniform stunting of the body.
Disorders that cause dwarfism may be classified according to one of hundreds of names, which are usually permutations of the following roots:
* location
**
rhizomelic
Rhizomelia refers to either a disproportion of the length of the proximal limb, such as the shortened limbs of achondroplasia, or some other disorder of the hip or shoulder.
According to Stedman's medical dictionary "rhizomelic" means "relating to ...
= root, i.e., bones of the upper arm or thigh
** mesomelic = middle, i.e., bones of the forearm or lower leg
** acromelic = end, i.e., bones of hands and feet.
** micromelic = entire limbs are shortened
* source
** chondro = of cartilage
** osteo = of bone
** spondylo = of the vertebrae
** plasia = form
** trophy = growth
Examples include achondroplasia and
chondrodystrophy
Chondrodystrophy (literally, "cartilage maldevelopment") refers to a skeletal disorder caused by one of myriad genetic mutations that can affect the development of cartilage. As a very general term, it is only used in the medical literature when ...
.
Prevention
Many types of dwarfism are currently impossible to prevent because they are genetically caused. Genetic conditions that cause dwarfism may be identified with
genetic testing, by screening for the specific variations that result in the condition. However, due to the number of causes of dwarfism, it may be impossible to determine definitively if a child will be born with dwarfism.
Dwarfism resulting from malnutrition or a hormonal abnormality may be treated with an appropriate diet or hormonal therapy. Growth hormone deficiency may be remedied via injections of
human growth hormone (HGH) during early life.
Management
Genetic mutations of most forms of dwarfism caused by bone dysplasia cannot be altered yet, so therapeutic interventions are typically aimed at preventing or reducing pain or physical disability, increasing adult height, or mitigating psychosocial stresses and enhancing social adaptation.
Forms of dwarfism associated with the endocrine system may be treated using
hormonal therapy. If the cause is prepubescent hyposecretion of growth hormone, supplemental growth hormone may correct the abnormality. If the receptor for growth hormone is itself affected, the condition may prove harder to treat.
Hypothyroidism is another possible cause of dwarfism that can be treated through hormonal therapy. Injections of thyroid hormone can mitigate the effects of the condition, but lack of proportion may be permanent.
Pain and disability may be ameliorated by physical therapy, braces or other orthotic devices, or by surgical procedures.
The only simple interventions that increase perceived adult height are dress enhancements, such as shoe lifts or hairstyle. Growth hormone is rarely used for shortness caused by bone dysplasias, since the height benefit is typically small (less than ) and the cost high.
The most effective means of increasing adult height by several inches is
distraction osteogenesis, though availability is limited and the cost is high in terms of money, discomfort, and disruption of life. Most people with dwarfism do not choose this option, and it remains controversial.
For other types of dwarfism, surgical treatment is not possible.
Society and culture
Terminology
The appropriate term for describing a person of particularly short stature (or with the genetic condition
achondroplasia) has developed euphemistically.
The noun ''dwarf'' stems from
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th ...
''dweorg'', originally referring to a being from
Germanic mythology
Germanic mythology consists of the body of myths native to the Germanic peoples, including Norse mythology, Anglo-Saxon mythology, and Continental Germanic mythology. It was a key element of Germanic paganism.
Origins
As the Germanic lang ...
—a
dwarf
Dwarf or dwarves may refer to:
Common uses
*Dwarf (folklore), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore
* Dwarf, a person or animal with dwarfism
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a humanoid ...
—that dwells in mountains and in the earth, and is associated with wisdom, smithing, mining, and crafting. The
etymology
Etymology () The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words ...
of the word ''dwarf'' is contested, and scholars have proposed varying theories about the origins of the being, including that dwarfs may have originated as nature spirits or as beings associated with death, or as a mixture of concepts. Competing etymologies include a basis in the
Indo-European
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Du ...
root ''*dheur-'' (meaning 'damage'), the Indo-European root ''*dhreugh'' (whence modern Dutch ''droom'' 'dream' and ''bedrog'' 'deception'), and comparisons have been made with the Old Indian ''
dhvaras'' (a type of demonic being). The being may not have gained associations with small stature until a later period.
[ Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall. ]
Dictionary of Northern Mythology
', pp. 67–68. D.S. Brewer
The terms "dwarf", "little person", "LP", and "person of short stature" are generally considered acceptable by most people affected by these disorders.
However, the plural "dwarfs" as opposed to "dwarves" is generally preferred in the medical context, possibly because the plural "dwarves" was popularized by author
J. R. R. Tolkien, describing a race of characters in his ''
The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's bo ...
'' books resembling
Norse dwarfs.
"
Midget", whose etymology indicates a "tiny biting insect",
came into prominence in the mid-19th century after
Harriet Beecher Stowe used it in her novels ''Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands'' and ''
Oldtown Folks'' where she described children and an extremely short man, respectively.
Later some people of short stature considered the word to be offensive because it was the descriptive term applied to
P. T. Barnum's dwarfs used for public amusement during the
freak show
A freak show, also known as a creep show, is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to in popular culture as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with ...
era.
It is also not considered accurate as it is not a medical term or diagnosis, though it is sometimes used as a slang term to describe those who are particularly short, whether or not they have dwarfism.
Dwarf sports
Dwarfs are supported to compete in sport by a number of
organisations nationally and internationally.
Dwarfs are included in some events in the
Athletics at the Summer Paralympics
Athletics has been contested at every Summer Paralympics since the first games in 1960. Men and women from all disability groups compete in the sport.
Some athletes use wheelchairs or prosthetic limbs and compete in their respective sport indep ...
.
The
Dwarf Athletic Association of America and the
Dwarf Sports Association UK provide opportunities for dwarfs to compete nationally and internationally in the Americas and Europe, respectively.
The Dwarf Sports Association UK organises between 5 and 20 events per month for athletes with restricted growth conditions in the UK.
For instance, swimming and bicycling are often recommended for people with skeletal dysplasias, since those activities put minimal pressure on the spine.
Since its early days,
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
has had the involvement of dwarf athletes. "
Midget wrestling" had its heyday in the 1950s–'70s, when wrestlers such as
Little Beaver,
Lord Littlebrook
Eric Henry Edward Tovey (3 January 1929 – 9 September 2016), known professionally as Lord Littlebrook, was an English midget wrestler. He enjoyed his greatest success during the 1970s, when he held the NWA World Midget's Championship. He was a ...
, and
Fuzzy Cupid toured North America, and
Sky Low Low
Marcel Gauthier (July 21, 1928 to November 6, 1998) was a Canadian professional midget wrestler who wrestler under the ring name Sky Low Low (a reference to Sky Hi Lee).
Professional wrestling career
Known by his midget wrestler persona "Sky Low ...
was the first holder of the
National Wrestling Alliance's
World Midget Championship. In the following couple of decades, more wrestlers became prominent in North America, including foreign wrestlers like Japan's
Little Tokyo. Although the term is seen by some as pejorative, many past and current midget wrestlers, including
Hornswoggle, have said they take pride in the term due to its history in the industry and its marketability.
Art and media depictions
In art, literature, and movies, dwarfs are rarely depicted as ordinary people who are very short but rather as a species apart.
Novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire ...
s,
artists, and
moviemakers may attach special moral or aesthetic significance to their "apartness" or misshapenness.
Artistic representations of dwarfism can be found on
Greek vases and other ancient artifacts, including
ancient Egyptian art in which dwarfs are likely to have been seen as a divine manifestation, with records indicating they could reach high positions in society.
[''Ancient Egyptian Medicine'', John F. Nunn, University of Oklahoma Press, 2002, pp. 78–79, ]
The
Bhagavat Purana Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
text devotes nine chapters to the adventures of
Vamana
Vamana (), also known as Trivikrama (), Urukrama (), Upendra (), Dadhivamana (), and Balibandhana () is an Dashavatara, avatar of the Hinduism, Hindu deity Vishnu. He is the fifth avatar of Vishnu, and the first Dashavatara in the Treta Yug ...
, a dwarf avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Depictions of dwarfism are also found in European paintings and many illustrations. Many European paintings (especially
Spanish) of the 16th–19th centuries depict dwarfs by themselves or with others. In the
Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...
, it is said that the second born son of the
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
ian
Pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: '' pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until th ...
of the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...
was a dwarf. Recent scholarship has suggested that ancient Egyptians held dwarfs in high esteem.
Several important mythological figures of the North American
Wyandot nation are portrayed as dwarfs.
As popular media have become more widespread, the number of works depicting dwarfs have increased dramatically. Dwarfism is depicted in many books, films, and TV series such as ''
Willow'', ''
The Wild Wild West'', ''
The Man with the Golden Gun'' (and later parodied in''
Austin Powers
''Austin Powers'' is a series of American spy action comedy films: '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997), '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' (1999) and '' Austin Powers in Goldmember'' (2002). The films were produced ...
''), ''
Gulliver's Travels'' by
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Du ...
,
[''Gulliver's Travels: Complete, Authoritative Text with Biographical and Historical Contexts'', Palgrave Macmillan 1995 (p. 21). The quote has been misattributed to ]Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...
, who wrote to Swift in praise of the book just a day earlier. ''
The Wizard of Oz'', ''
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'', ''
Bad Santa'', ''
A Son of the Circus
''A Son of the Circus'' (1994) is a novel by American writer John Irving. It was a return to his first publisher, Random House, under whose imprint Irving's first three novels appeared.
Though the setting is Mumbai, India and though the book de ...
'', ''
Little People, Big World
''Little People, Big World'' is an American reality television series that premiered on March 4, 2006, and airs on TLC. The series chronicles the lives of the six-member Roloff family farm near Portland, Oregon. Many of the episodes focus on th ...
'', ''
The Little Couple'', ''
A Song of Ice and Fire'' (and its TV adaptation ''
Game of Thrones''), ''
Seinfeld'', ''
The Orator'', ''
In Bruges'', ''
The Tin Drum'' by
Günter Grass
Günter Wilhelm Grass (born Graß; ; 16 October 1927 – 13 April 2015) was a German novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor, and recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature.
He was born in the Free City of D ...
, the short-lived reality show ''
The Littlest Groom'', and the films ''
The Station Agent'' and ''
Zero''.
The
Animal Planet TV series ''
Pit Boss'' features dwarf actor
Shorty Rossi and his talent agency, "Shortywood Productions", which Rossi uses to provide funding for his pit bull rescue operation, "Shorty's Rescue". Rossi's three full-time employees, featured in the series, are all little people and aspiring actors.
In September 2014, Creative Business House, along with Donnons Leur Une Chance, created the
International Dwarf Fashion Show
The International Dwarf Fashion Show, also known as The National Dwarf Fashion Show, is a non-profit organization which seeks to empower and raise awareness to people living with dwarfism by putting on fashion shows consisting entirely of people l ...
to raise awareness and boost self-confidence of people living with dwarfism.
A number of reality television series on
Lifetime, beginning with ''
Little Women: LA'' in 2014, focused on showing the lives of women living with dwarfism in various cities around the United States.
See also
*
Dwarfs and pygmies in Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, especially during the Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom periods, dwarfs and pygmies were seen as people with celestial gifts. They were treated with considerable respect and could enjoy high social positions. During the 1st Dynas ...
*
Dwarf-tossing
Dwarf-tossing, also called midget-tossing, is a pub/ bar attraction or activity in which people with dwarfism, wearing special padded clothing or Velcro costumes, are thrown onto mattresses or at Velcro-coated walls. Participants compete to throw ...
*
Ellis–Van Creveld syndrome
*
Gigantism
*
Human height
*
Kingdom of the Little People
The Kingdom of the Little People is a theme park near Kunming, China that features comic performances by people with dwarfism. Supporters of the park claim that it provides employment to people who would otherwise be unable to find work, but it ha ...
*
Laron syndrome
Laron syndrome (LS), also known as growth hormone insensitivity or growth hormone receptor deficiency (GHRD), is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a lack of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1; somatomedin) production in response t ...
*
List of people with dwarfism
*
List of dwarfism organisations
List of dwarfism organizations around the world.
Africa
Uganda
*Little People of Uganda
Asia Hong Kong
*Little People of Hong Kong 小而同罕有骨骼疾病基金會
Iran
* Iranian Short Stature Association کوتاه قامتان ...
*
List of the verified shortest people
*
Midget
*
Mulibrey nanism
*
Phyletic dwarfism
Phyletic dwarfism is the decrease in average size of animals of a species.
There are a few circumstances that often lead to species doing this.
Lack of predators of smaller creatures can allow smaller members of a species to survive.
The lack of ...
*
Short stature
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Pygmy peoples
In anthropology, pygmy peoples are ethnic groups whose average height is unusually short. The term pygmyism is used to describe the phenotype of endemic short stature (as opposed to disproportionate dwarfism occurring in isolated cases in a ...
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Dwarf hamster (disambiguation) Dwarf hamster may refer to:
*A member of any of the three species of genus ''Phodopus'':
**Campbell's dwarf hamster
** Djungarian hamster
**Roborovski hamster
*A member of certain species of genus ''Cricetulus
''Cricetulus'' is a genus of rodent ...
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Dwarf rabbit
References
External links
Little People of the World Organization ub for all International Organizations; services/advocacy/know your rights/supportLittle People of America(Includes a list of International support groups)
Little People of Canada(Includes a list of Canadian Provincial support groups)
Little People UKDwarf Sports Association UKRestricted Growth Association UK
{{Authority control
Growth disorders
Human height