Psychogenic dwarfism (patient information)
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What is psychogenic dwarfism?
How do I know if my chlild has psychogenic dwarfism and what are the symptoms of psychogenic dwarfism?
Signs and symptoms of psychogenic dwarfism vary greatly. Because these disorders affect overall growth, many of them result in poor development in one or more body systems.
- Short stature: Short arms and legs, with particularly short upper arms and upper legs. short fingers, often with a wide separation between the middle and ring fingers.
- Weight that is inappropriate for the height
- Immature bone age, an adult height around 4 feet (about 122 centimeters)
Who is at risk for psychogenic dwarfism?
Many studies have demonstrated that an environment with constant and extreme stress is the cause of psychogenic dwarfism for children. Stress releases hormones in the children's bodies such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, engaging what is known as the "fight or flight" response, decreaseing the production of growth hormone (GH), resulting in dyspepsia of nutrients and further affecting growth and development.
How to know you have psychogenic dwarfism?
- Appearance and measurements: The appearance of your child may assist your pediatrician in making a diagnosis. Further, a measurement of height, weight and head circumference is important for evaluating the growth and development of the child. The chart with your child's data plotted by the pediatrician may identify abnormal growth and expect the growth in the future.
- Evaluation of child's growth and develpment environment: As we know, an environment with constant and extreme stress is the cause of psychogenic dwarfism for children. It is very important to take the history of the child's growth and develpment environment, and assess the child's emotional condition.
- Hormone tests: Assessment of growth hormone level is necessary for a child suspected dwarfism by the appearance and measurements. It always shows a low level of growth hormone in the child.
- Imaging technology: X-ray bone age test is useful to assess delayed maturation of bones, as is the case in growth hormone deficiency. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan may identify whether abnormalities of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus exist.
When to seek urgent medical care?
Call your health care provider if you have any symptoms of psychogenic dwarfism.
Treatment options
Diseases with similar symptoms
Where to find medical care for psychogenic dwarfism?
Directions to Hospitals Treating psychogenic dwarfism
Prevention of psychogenic dwarfism
What to expect (Outook/Prognosis)?
Copyleft Sources
http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/dwarfism/DS01012/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Psychogenic_dwarfism
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/bones/dwarfism.html
http://www.lpaonline.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=84634&orgId=lpa