Short Description:
Primordial Dwarves
Primordial Dwarves (PD), unlike other types of dwarfs, are normally
proportioned, but their growth is retarded almost from the moment
of their conception.
Causes:
Primordial Dwarves are a modern value judgment about what is and
is not considered tall. Consider how tall people used to be in the past:
*
Height in Pre-CE:
At the time of Christ and the Roman Empire,
men were considered tall at over 5 feet while women were considered tall
at over 4 feet. So that Primordial Dwarves at around 3 feet would have
been considered short but not excessively so and their height would not
have distinguished them from others. In these biblical times, most people
were a full 10 to 12 inches below the average height of today's men and women.
*
Height in 1066:
William the Conqueror was just under six feet
tall while his wife, Matilda, was just over four feet tall. William was
considered to be a tall man at the time and he used his towering size to
intimidate others. Today William would be considered to be of average
height. His wife, Matilda, was considered short but would not have been
considered a dwarf in her today. Today Matilda would be classified as a
dwarf. Matilda was a very hearty individual, bearing the Conqueror ten
children! At the time of the Norman Conquest, most people were 6 to 8
inches below the average height of today's men and women.
*
Height in 1855:
Charlotte Bronte who was under five feet tall,
and would be consider the same height-size as an 11 year old today. Proof
of her height can be seen in her dress preserved in the Bronte museum. In
Victorian times, most people were only 3 to 4 inches below the average
height of today's men and women.
Symptoms:
Primordial Dwarves are diagnosed by ultrasound as small for gestational age
(SGA) or as having intra uterine growth retardation (IUGR). They have
low birth weights (less than 4 pounds). After birth, their growth continues
at an extremely slow rate leaving these PD children years behind their peers in size.
*
Skull:
The proportions of the PD child's head to their body are
average at birth. As the PD children grow and develop, their head grows
slower than their body. Their head becomes disproportionately small.
Fine and sparse hair are common. Structural abnormalities can develop
inside the brain.
*
Face:
The nose and eyes can be prominent in PD children. The
teeth are small with deficient enamel and with increased spaces inbetween.
Roots are small and teeth can be lost prematurely. PD children can
appear older due to an abnormal facial structure and/or coloration of
the skin. Most develop farsightedness.
*
Torso:
The chest and spine of PD children are proportionately
small making PD children highly . The hips can become dislocated. The
back becomes prone to Scoliosis (curvature of the spine). The forearms
can become disproportionately shorter and the elbows can experience
decreased range of motion.
After Effects:
Primordial Dwarves have very thin bones and are at high risk for breaks.
They are also prone to Heart Disease, Kidney Disorders, and Aneurysm
(bursted bulge in a blood vessel). They are very likely to experience
delays in developing physically. Most infants with primordial dwarfism
have feeding problems. Since their bodies are so small, they have less
natural resistance to disease than full sized individuals.
Advice:
Primordial Dwarves have always been somewhat fragile. Their small
stature has always made them a victim to those who were stronger and
taller. That is why reigning monarchs had a long standing tradition
of taking in dwarves to serve as court jesters. Not only were they
amused by the dwarves, it was considered their duty to protect the
truly weak and helpless. So today's Primordial Dwarves would be well
advised to have taller companions around to help them when they are
out in public. Those who see them should be compassionate.
Case History:
is included in the above descriptions of Primordial Dwarfism.