Short stature group gives support

It is thought about 6,000 across the UK are affected by restricted height

A support group for people with restricted height has been set up - the first of its kind in Scotland.

It is thought that there are about 6,000 people living in the UK with the growth condition.

One of the aims of Short Stature Scotland is to offer support to the parents of children who have a medical growth condition.

Achondroplasia, the commonest form of dwarfism, is caused when there is a chemical change within a single gene.

If one parent has achondroplasia there is a 50% chance the child will inherit the condition.

The new support group was set up to offer emotional support, advice and information to all people with restricted height and to their families.

Chairwoman of Short Stature Scotland, Jackie Millan, said the group wants to promote understanding of the condition.

"In Scotland there are a lot of average-sized parents with children of restricted growth and we just felt that we wanted to educate the parents and the public in general that we are just like everybody else," she said.

"We can do things if we adapt the world to us. When parents are first told that a child has a growth condition they can feel very negative."