Dwarfism is a medical name for what is known as skeletal dysplasia. It's an umbrella word for hundreds of disorders that can have an impact on your child's bone and cartilage growth. Skeletal dysplasia types are typically categorised based on which portions of the skeleton are affected. Examples include brachycephaly (shortened head), scoliosis (sagittal curvature of the spine), short stature and wide chest/large heart. Skeletal dysplasias can be inherited or occur as a result of mutations to genes involved in bone development. Some of the more common types include achondroplasia, hypochondroplasia, thanatophoric dysplasia, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva and hypermobility type joint disease. The severity of symptoms will vary between individuals but everyone with the condition will suffer from some form of disability. Life expectancy is generally reduced compared to people who don't have the disorder. The terms "dwarf" and "miniature" are often used interchangeably, although this is incorrect. Dwarfs are persons who are understating height for their age while miniatures are younger than expected for their age. People with skeletal dysplasias are usually shorter than their peers and may have difficulty reaching normal height if treatment is not administered. In some cases, patients may remain at a low weight due to poor appetite caused by pain associated with the disorder.