Short stature Assessment Questionnaire

Why: Growth failure may occur from birth, as in cystic fibrosis, whereas in celiac disease, for example, growth failure occurs after a period of normal growth (see Poor_growth).

Why: may contribute to poor feeding and poor growth in the infant.

Why: e.g. any abnormality either structural or functional, identified at any age, but that began before birth such as anencephaly, cystic fibrosis, fetal alcohol syndrome, Down syndrome, hypothyroidism, congenital heart disease.

Why: The effects on the growth pattern after birth will depend on the timing, duration and severity of the insult during pregnancy.

Why: e.g. chronic severe disorders such as congenital heart disease and chronic renal failure can cause poor growth and short stature.

Why: As a general rule, any child whose height falls below the 3rd centile should be considered short. However, occasionally a child whose height is above the 3rd centile may be considered short in relation to the family average height pattern. If several adult family members are short, the child's short stature is likely to be familial.

Why: e.g. genetic disorders, stillbirths or deaths in infancy, dwarfism, Noonan syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, Fanconi syndrome , Down syndrome.

Why: e.g. gross motor skills, fine motor function, language, hearing, social skills and understanding.

Why: If shortness of breath is severe it will affect feeding and may cause failure to thrive and short stature e.g. congenital heart disease, heart failure, asthma, cystic fibrosis.

Why: may suggest malabsorption of nutrients (e.g. celiac or Crohn's disease) as the cause of short stature.

Why: may suggest hypothyroidism, growth hormone deficiency, Cushing's disease.

Why: e.g. short girls with normal body proportions. They have some of the following features including webbed neck, shield shaped chest, dark pigmented moles, delayed puberty, infertility, learning difficulties.

Why: e.g. short children of either sex with normal body proportions, webbed neck, broad forehead, increased distance between the eyes, droopy eyelids, down slanting eyes, flat nasal bridge, low set ears, hunching of the shoulders, failure of the testicles to descend (in males), mild mental retardation.

Why: e.g. short stature with disproportionately short limbs, relatively large head, small face, narrow nasal passages, forward projection of the jaw bone, exaggerated curvature of the lumbar spine, short fingers, slow development of gross motor milestones. Mental development is usually normal.

Why: e.g. short stature, short limbs, multiple fractures in childhood due to increased bone fragility, bony deformity, blue color to the sclera of the eye, deafness, hunching of the shoulders.

Why: e.g. poor growth, short stature, cool hands and feet, constipation, preference for warm weather, intolerance to cold weather, hoarse voice, overweight and slow mental functioning.

Why: e.g. weight gain especially central abdominal, change of appearance, moon-like face, thin skin, easy bruising, excessive facial hair growth, acne, muscle weakness, lack of or rare menstrual periods, poor libido, depression, psychosis, insomnia, frequent urination, excessive thirst, growth arrest in children.

Why: e.g. mainly affect girls, skin pigmentation (isolated dark brown to light brown patches which tend to remain on one side of the midline), early puberty, ultimate short stature, localized bone pain, deformities or fractures, headache, seizures, hearing loss and sometimes Cushing-like symptoms.