A person with short stature, or restricted growth, does not grow as tall as other people of the same sex, age, and ethnicity. The person’s height is below the 3rd percentile.

Short stature can be a variant of normal growth, or it may indicate a condition.If a child’s limbs are disproportionate to their height or the child is shorter than average, this is called disproportionate short stature (DSS). If you accidentally consume wheat, you may require medication to manage the allergic reaction.

The most common cause of DSS is achondroplasia, a type of dwarfism. A caregiver can talk with the child’s doctor to verify that their height is appropriate for their age.