trunk as well as a disproportionately large head with a prominent forehead. Hands of people with ACH are often proportionally small with short fingers that can diverge into the shape of a trident. Internally, those with ACH can show shortness of the base of the skull with a small foreman magnum and a narrowing spinal canal throughout its length as well as a lower fifth lumbar vertebra which appears between the ilia. These features can often delay motor development milestones like walking as well as lead to several physical conditions (Pauli, 1998).
Although people with Achondroplasia can live a full life expectancy many infants with ACH are at risk of death due to craniocerval junction related anomalies with the mortality risk peaking as high …show more content…
In a study of 95 children 38% of them showed evidence of obstructive sleep apnea and 29% required surgery to aid the issue. While the surgery generally rectified the issue, recurrent symptoms are very common (Sisk et al., 1999). Sleep apnea is often exacerbated by the growing problem of obesity within people with ACH, there is currently no standardized BMI chart for those with achondroplasia but there is an increasing problem with weight control in younger people with ACH particularly due to the fact that it is difficult to regulate food intake for adult needs in proportion to small stature. Obesity can retrigger problems with sleep apnea that were present in childhood which is why it is important to avoid obesity starting in early childhood (Hunter et al., …show more content…
In a study performed on prepubescent Japanese children with multiple forms of stature related disorders, those with ACH showed a significant height improvement of 3.9 inches on average of growth while on growth hormone therapy (Kanazawa et al., 2003). However, furthers studies show that the initial dose of hormones shows a significant amount of growth which then decelerates over time until the hormones are no longer effective. The results are even less profound when tested on adults who have already completed puberty. Another treatment used to help increase stature in those with ACH is limb lengthening which can produce a height increase of 12-14 inches. Limb lengthening, although rare within the United States, is generally spread out into multiple procedures and includes operations on both the tibias and the femurs; it is performed by first cutting the bone and placing metal screws or pins through the skin and into the bone, a metal device is attached to the pins in the bone which is then used to slowly pull the bone apart at the growth plates which facilitates growth. Studies show that it may be beneficial to begin limb lengthening procedures in male children around 8 years of age while delaying the procedure in female children until 15 years of age in order to bring forth maximum growth (Ganel and Horoszowski, 1996).
Although people with Achondroplasia can live a full life expectancy many infants with ACH are at risk of death due to craniocerval junction related anomalies with the mortality risk peaking as high …show more content…
In a study of 95 children 38% of them showed evidence of obstructive sleep apnea and 29% required surgery to aid the issue. While the surgery generally rectified the issue, recurrent symptoms are very common (Sisk et al., 1999). Sleep apnea is often exacerbated by the growing problem of obesity within people with ACH, there is currently no standardized BMI chart for those with achondroplasia but there is an increasing problem with weight control in younger people with ACH particularly due to the fact that it is difficult to regulate food intake for adult needs in proportion to small stature. Obesity can retrigger problems with sleep apnea that were present in childhood which is why it is important to avoid obesity starting in early childhood (Hunter et al., …show more content…
In a study performed on prepubescent Japanese children with multiple forms of stature related disorders, those with ACH showed a significant height improvement of 3.9 inches on average of growth while on growth hormone therapy (Kanazawa et al., 2003). However, furthers studies show that the initial dose of hormones shows a significant amount of growth which then decelerates over time until the hormones are no longer effective. The results are even less profound when tested on adults who have already completed puberty. Another treatment used to help increase stature in those with ACH is limb lengthening which can produce a height increase of 12-14 inches. Limb lengthening, although rare within the United States, is generally spread out into multiple procedures and includes operations on both the tibias and the femurs; it is performed by first cutting the bone and placing metal screws or pins through the skin and into the bone, a metal device is attached to the pins in the bone which is then used to slowly pull the bone apart at the growth plates which facilitates growth. Studies show that it may be beneficial to begin limb lengthening procedures in male children around 8 years of age while delaying the procedure in female children until 15 years of age in order to bring forth maximum growth (Ganel and Horoszowski, 1996).