Short stature

Definition

Short stature refers to any person who is significantly below the average height for a person of the same age and sex -- specifically, the shortest 3 - 5% of the population.

The term often refers to children or adolescents who are significantly below the average height of their peers.

Considerations

Short stature is not necessarily a symptom or sign of a health problem. Two relatively short but healthy parents may have an entirely healthy child who is in the shortest 5%.

On the other hand, short stature may be a symptom caused by a medical condition. Since many of these conditions are treatable, the person should be examined by a health care provider. The rate of growth over time is important in determining the cause.

Causes

• Achondroplasia
• Chronic diseases such as congenital heart disease, kidney diseases, asthma, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes
• Constitutional growth delay
• Craniopharyngioma
• Cushing's disease
• Delayed puberty (causes temporary short stature, but normal height is eventually achieved)
• Down syndrome
• Hypothyroidism that develops before birth
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Malabsorption disorders such as celiac disease
• Malnutrition
• Noonan syndrome
• Panhypopituitarism (growth hormone deficiency)
• Pituitary dwarfism
• Precocious puberty
• Rickets
• Russell-Silver syndrome
• Turner syndrome
• Williams syndrome

This list is not all-inclusive.