A correction and a request

[Guest guest]

Editor-in-chief

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Dear :

Elsa son's article " Size Matters " is, for the most part, competently

executed, and a welcome addition to an important debate.

Unfortunately, there is a serious error in the lead. son writes that

achondroplasia is " the most common -- and usual fatal -- form of

dwarfism. " In fact, achondroplasia, which accounts for about half of all

cases of dwarfism, is in many respects the most benign form of the

condition. Thousands of achondroplastic dwarfs lead healthy, productive

lives.

What I'm sure son meant to say was that the 1994 genetic discovery

she refers to makes it possible to diagnose in utero the double-dominant

form of achondroplasia, which is indeed fatal. This comes into play when

two achondroplastic dwarfs decide to have a child. They have a 25 percent

chance of having a child who is average-size; a 50 percent chance of

having a child who is a dwarf; and a 25 percent chance of having a child

who has inherited the dwarfism gene from both parents, and who thus cannot

survive. Genetic screening is sometimes recommended for achondroplastic

couples who may wish to terminate a pregnancy when this double-dominant

syndrome results.

I hope you will correct this error.

In addition, I appreciate your including a link to the LPA Web site.

However, you put in the URL for a subsection of the site. The LPA Online

home page is located at http://www.lpaonline.org, and is a better starting

point for readers.

Thank you very much.

Dan Kennedy

Internet services coordinator

Little People of America, Inc.

http://www.lpaonline.org