Nine out of 11 members of family are dwarfs due to rare genetic condition causing short limbs

A rare genetic condition has made nine of the 11 members of a family dwarfs .
Ram Raj Chauhan's clan once consisted of 21 people - 18 of whom suffered from a genetic condition called Achondroplasia which causes short limbed dwarfism.



Achondroplasia is the most common form of disproportionate dwarfism, and is characterised by a normal sized torso and short limbs.
Ram Raj, 52, originally had seven sisters and four brothers, with eight of the 11 siblings suffering from the condition.


But some of them have passed away, including his elder brother, Prithvi Raj.
Ram Raj now lives with ten of his family members in the Old City in Hyderabad, India.
Nine of them have the condition, making them the largest dwarf family in the city.

Ram Raj Chauhan's sister Sunitha Bai prepares the afternoon meal for the family (Photo: Barcroft Media)

Sunitha Bai prepares the afternoon meal for the family (Photo: Barcroft Media)

Their condition attracts a lot of attention, much of it unwanted.
Curious looks, verbal jibes and taunts are a common occurrence when the family steps out.