The term thanatophoric is Greek for "death bearing". Children with this condition are usually stillborn or die shortly after birth from respiratory failure, however a small number of individuals have survived into childhood and a very few beyond. Survivors have difficulty breathing on their own and require respiratory support such as high flow oxygen through a canula or ventilator support via tracheostomy. There may also be evidence of spinal stenosis and seizures.

The oldest known living TD survivor is a 29-year-old female. One male lived to be 26 years old. Another male lived to age 20. TD survivor, Chrisopher Álvarez, 18, is Colombian living in New York. Two children with TD aged 10 and 12, a male and a female, are known in Germany. There is also a 6-year-old male living with TD and two 1-year old males.

It can be associated with missense mutations in fibroblast growth factor receptor-3. It is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.

The mechanism of rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata in the case of "type 1" of this condition one finds that peroxisome objective is PEX7, in peroxisome assembly.There are 3 pathways that "count on" PEX7 and are:

This condition is a consequence of mutations in the PEX7 gene, GNPAT gene (which is located on chromosome 1) and AGPS gene, the condition is acquired in a autosomal recessive manner.

Dysmelia can be caused by

- inheritance of abnormal genes, e.g. polydactyly, ectrodactyly or brachydactyly, symptoms of deformed limbs then often occur in combination with other symptoms (syndromes)

- external causes during pregnancy (thus not inherited), e.g. via amniotic band syndrome

- teratogenic drugs (e.g. thalidomide, which causes phocomelia) or environmental chemicals

- ionizing radiation (nuclear weapons, radioiodine, radiation therapy)

- infections

- metabolic imbalance

Dysmelia (from Gr. δυσ- "dys", "bad" + μέλ|ος "mél|os", "limb" + Eng. suff. -ia) is a congenital disorder of a limb resulting from a disturbance in embryonic development.

Rhizomelia refers to either a disproportion of the length of the proximal limb, such as the shortened limbs of achondroplasia, or some other disorder of the hip or shoulder.

According to Stedman's medical dictionary "rhizomelic" means "relating to hip or shoulder joints", while "micromelic" means "having disproportionately short or small limbs".