Talk:Short stature

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I am parking this paragraph i wrote for the ref desk here for future use.


 * Dwarfism is extreme shortness due to abnormalities of bone structure. There are hundreds of types of this; most cause disproportionate shortness. Achondroplasia is the most easily recognized common form. The most publicized treatment that adds several inches is limb-lengthening surgery (Ilizarov procedure).
 * Extreme proportional shortness is usually the result of untreated growth hormone deficiency. William Stratton/Tom Thumb had this. Although growth hormone is a single hormone made by the pituitary gland, there many causes of deficiency. Growth hormone treatment can make a several inch difference in height. Midget is no longer used in a medical context (as mentioned above) and we prevent the really extreme degrees of proportional shortness by treating them, but it is probably fair to say that most people considered extreme midgets in the past probably had untreated GH deficiency.
 * Pygmies are people with extreme proportional shortness due to a specific genetic variation. Because the gene difference is spread thoughout their population, the short stature is not considered a disease. The biological difference in the largest pygmy population, the Efe, has been reported to be reduced senitivity to insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), but this is not consdired conclusively established, as they do have a difference in the principal IGF-1 receptor gene (IGF1R). Other pygmy peoples besides the Efe are known, and may have different genetic differences.
 * From a medical perspective, there are many other causes of both proportionate and disproportionate shortness than these 3 categories. alteripse 00:07, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Review
... of genetic causes in JCEM 10.1210/jc.2014-1506 JFW &#124; T@lk  22:21, 13 September 2014 (UTC)

Loss of Height
Please link to articles about Loss of Height.-71.174.175.150 (talk)

Lead and typical values for developed countries.
I'm questioning whether we should give typical values for what constitutes "short stature" in developed countries. This seems like a very fuzzy target. "Short stature" is very much a population-relative measure. There are significant differences in average heights (and thus in what is considered short stature) among different populations of developed countries (see Average human height by country). Compare, say, Japan and Netherlands. I suggest just stating that it is two standard deviations below a population's mean (for the given age and gender) and leaving out the supposed typical values for developed countries. Meters (talk) 06:59, 28 August 2020 (UTC)


 * A man shorter than 5’2” would be more than two standard deviations below the mean for age and gender, which corresponds to the shortest 2.3% of individuals. I don’t think it is fair to use that criteria according to developed countries standards. The poor people in the developing countries are slaving away doing all the labor that rich people in developed countries don’t want to do. Of course they don’t have time to eat right and be taller. No need to rub it in and say that they are short! Zoe1013 (talk) 09:24, 28 August 2020 (UTC)
 * I have no idea what you are trying to say, and it appears that you do not understand what a standard deviation is. A standard deviation is a statistical measure that is related to a particular population. Two standard deviations below the mean is the lowest 2.3% of that population (assuming it is normally distributed). Period. See Standard deviation. Whether 5'-2" would be considered of short stature for a man depends entirely on the particular population. (The lead is not clear on this and I will correct that.)
 * And this has nothing to do with rubbing it in for members of less developed populations. If a given population has a shorter mean height then the criterion for short stature in that population will also be shorter. Meters (talk) 00:26, 29 August 2020 (UTC)

Lead addition re clothing size
I've removed the following supposed example from the lead again: 'For instance, people of short stature sometimes can wear children's clothing due to disagreement about the degree of shortness that should be called "short" '

Whether some people can wear children's clothing sizes has nothing to do with the disagreements over definition of "short". Clothing manufacturers make clothing in various sizes. I'm not aware of any reliable sources that say that the ability to wear a child's size is the definition of short stature. Meters (talk) 00:43, 29 August 2020 (UTC)


 * I see the kids size chart has height for a specific size. A taller person would not want to wear kids clothes because the kids clothing are too small. Zoe1013 (talk) 01:13, 29 August 2020 (UTC)
 * I don't understand what point you are trying to make. Of course people do not want to wear clothing that is too small for them. What does that have to do with the definition of short stature?Again, who says that the ability to wear a child's size is the definition of short stature? Meters (talk) 01:31, 29 August 2020 (UTC)
 * According to the size chart, a size 18 fits anyone from 62.5-64 inches tall. Average height in the US for a non Hispanic white person is 64.5 inches tall. In order to fit in a size 18, you have to be under the average height. So kids clothing is for people of short stature. Zoe1013 (talk) 01:39, 29 August 2020 (UTC)
 * "Short stature" does not simply mean "under average height". I'm not even going to bother asking where you pulled that "Average height in the US for a non Hispanic white person" of 64.5 inches. You really should drop this. Meters (talk) 01:49, 29 August 2020 (UTC)
 * What does short stature mean then if it is not under average height? Zoe1013 (talk) 02:19, 29 August 2020 (UTC)