Is Zach And Tori Roloff’s Baby A Dwarf? ‘Little People, Big World’ Stars Answer Question On Everyone’s Mind


Is Zach and Tori Roloff’s baby a dwarf? That’s the question fans of Little People, Big World have been asking ever since the couple announced that they were pregnant. And, for the first few days after Jackson Kyle’s birth, his parents had kept silent about it. Now, however, in an interview with People, the couple has revealed that their son does, indeed, have dwarfism.

Specifically, Jackson has achondroplasia, like his father and his maternal grandmother, Amy.

My heart is so unbearably full. I’ve only spent 4 days with this little guy and I have fallen In love completely with him. This is what I was meant to do. Mommy loves you, Jackson!???? #BabyJK #zandtpartyofthree

A post shared by Tori Roloff (@toriroloff) on

Ordinarily, dwarfism isn’t readily apparent in an infant and indeed doesn’t start to become obvious until at about age two or three, according to a February 2014 Newsmax report. However, thanks to genetic testing, a diagnosis of a condition that causes dwarfism, such as achondroplasia, can be made conclusively at any age, even in utero.

As Tori explained, she and Zach knew when she got pregnant that there was a very real possibility (specifically, a 50 percent chance) of having a baby with dwarfism.

“We knew our chances of having a dwarf, but it didn’t matter,” says Tori, a kindergarten teacher. “We just knew we wanted to be parents, however God wanted it to happen.”

So what kind of life can Jackson Kyle Roloff expect growing up as a dwarf? Well, that will depend on a lot of things, but in general, he may be looking at a lifetime of medical problems, as well as social problems.

Dwarfism and Medical Issues

Not all people with dwarfism have medical problems; in fact, none other than Jackson’s grandmother, Amy Roloff, has lived a full life with dwarfism with no medical issues (beyond the regular wear and tear that life takes on a human body). Jackson’s father, Zach, and grandfather, Matt, however, have not been so lucky.

Jackson Kyle Roloff Born May 12th at 8:00am 9 LBS 1 OZ 20 1/2 inches long Mom and Dad are so in love with you already???????????? #ZandTpartyofthree

A post shared by Tori Roloff (@toriroloff) on

Zach, for example, has had a shunt implanted in his skull to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid – a shunt which famously failed and had to be replaced during the original run of Little People, Big World. He has also had surgery to repair bowing of his legs. Jackson’s grandfather, Matt Roloff, has been beset by medical problems his whole life, and to this day uses crutches and a motorized cart to get around.

According to Healthline, people with achondroplasia can also experience obesity, frequent ear infections, have difficulty bending their elbows, and may develop spinal stenosis.

Of course, Jackson could also be like his grandmother and live his entire life without severe medical problems.

Social Problems

Whether or not Jackson Kyle has medical problems later in life, he will almost certainly experience other difficulties. Simply put, the world isn’t quite ready to accommodate people with dwarfism, as Zach explains.

“You have to encourage a dwarf child a little more because it will take them five steps to do what others can do in two. But I knew, dwarf or not, I was going to parent my child with the mentality that not everyone gets a trophy. You have to earn it.”

Further, when he gets to be school age, he will undoubtedly face bullying, just like his father did.

Of course, one benefit that Jackson Kyle has is a loving family, consisting of a father and grandparents who, like him, have dwarfism. Further, he has two uncles (Jacob and Jeremy) and an aunt (Molly) who are going to love him to pieces.

In other words, dwarfism or no dwarfism, Jackson Kyle Roloff is going to have a rich and fulfilling life filled with love and laughter.

[Featured Image by Photodisk/Thinkstock]

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