Growth rate is an important indicator of overall health. Children who do not reach the 5th percentile by the age of 5 years are said to be small for gestational age (SGA). A pediatrician will look out for signs of “failure to thrive.”
Early intervention can prevent future problems in many cases.
Normally, at 8 years of age, a child’s arm span is around the same as their height. If these measurements are out of proportion, this may be a sign of disproportionate short stature (DSS), sometimes known as “dwarfism.”
Fast facts on short stature
Here are some key points about short stature. More detail is in the main article.
- Short stature can happen for a wide range of reasons, including having small parents, malnutrition, and genetic conditions such as achondroplasia.
- Proportionate short stature (PSS) is when the person is small, but all the parts are in the usual proportions.
- In disproportionate short stature (DSS), the limbs may be small compared with the trunk.
- If short stature results from a growth hormone (GH) deficiency, GH treatment can often boost growth.
- Some people may experience long-term medical complications, but intelligence is not usually affected.
