There are more than 200 different types of dwarfism that can be put into two broad categories.
Disproportionate dwarfism
The first category is called disproportionate dwarfism. Disproportionate dwarfism is when some body parts are normal sized, such as a limb, but other parts are larger than normal, and some are smaller than normal. This type of dwarfism can prevent the growing of bones. The most common type of disproportionate dwarfism is called achondroplasia, which can be diagnosed at a very young age. People with achondroplasia often have:
an average midsection
shorter than average arms and legs
shorter than average fingers, with a large gap between the ring and middle finger
elbows that are do not function well
larger than average head with a prominent forehead and flat bridge of the nose
slowly bowing legs
slowly bowing chest bones
the average height of an adult with about 4 feet
Another cause of disproportionate dwarfism is spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDC) which is a rare disease that is not very common. Symptoms of SEDC are:
a short torso that can be noticed at infancy
a short neck
shorter than average arms and legs
average sized hands and feet
flattened cheekbones
a foot can be twisted out of shape
twisted hips that can result in warped thigh bones
curving of the spine
eye and ear problems
adult height can range from 3 to just over 4 feet
proportionate dwarfism
Another form of dwarfism is proportionate dwarfism. This most commonly discovered at birth and results in overall growth of the affected person(s). Can also result in the growth of some body systems. Most commonly caused by the lack of growth hormones. This can also be diagnosed at a very young age. Symptoms of people with proportionate dwarfism can include:
height below the third percentile of growth during the pediatric stage
slow growth
small or no amounts of sexual development during preteen/ teen years