Short stature (synonyms: short stature, short stature; microsomia, dwarfism; ICD-10-GM E34.3: Short stature, not elsewhere classified; ICD-10-GM Q87.1: Congenital malformation syndromes predominantly associated with short stature) is a term used to describe a lower than normal growth in body length (below the 3rd percentile).
Short stature usually occurs as a result of decreased growth rate or shortened growth duration. It is most noticeable during infancy and puberty, when physiologically larger growth spurts occur.
The following formula is used to estimate final body height:
- Boys: (size father + size mother + 13)/2
- Girls: (size father + size mother – 13)/2
Familial short stature is the most common cause of short stature: the parents of the affected person are short and therefore their offspring will also be short due to genetic causes. The second most common cause of short stature, accounting for approximately 27% of cases, is constitutional developmental delay (CDD). Boys are most frequently affected. In this case, the growth rate is reduced and the onset of puberty is delayed. As a result, however, development is usually normal, but delayed. Eventually, normal height is reached albeit later than in peers.
Other causes include:
- Genetic disorders (chromosomal disorders, e.g., Ullrich-Turner syndrome; genetic metabolic disorders).
- Intrauterine growth disorders (e.g., alcohol embryopathy, placental insufficiency (placental weakness), prenatal (“before birth”) infections, malnutrition or malnutrition of the pregnant woman, etc.).
- Hormonal or endocrine disorders
- Skeletal abnormalities
- Secondary short stature (malnutrition, psychosocial deprivation/neglect, chronic illness; long-term treatment with cortisone).
Idiopathic short stature is a diagnosis of exclusion. It is present only when genetic disorders, intrauterine growth disorders, skeletal abnormalities, growth hormone deficiency and secondary causes have been excluded.
Short stature can be a symptom of many diseases (see under “Differential diagnoses”).
The prevalence (disease frequency) is 3% of children (in Germany).
Course and prognosis: Course and prognosis depend on the cause of short stature.
