Growing Up Too Fast
from Shine Newsletter, Summer 2007
Parents want their children to remain young for as long as possible. What happens when a medical or physical condition causes them to grow up before their time?
Puberty is a time when children mature physically and emotionally. Usually, puberty starts in girls between eight and 13-years-old and in boys between nine and 14. Precocious puberty is when the onset of puberty occurs in girls younger than eight and in boys younger than nine-years-old.
“Precocious puberty is not uncommon and occurs more frequently in girls than in boys,” said Sharon Travers, MD, pediatric endocrinologist at The Children’s Hospital. “For children who develop faster than their peers, these changes can be especially difficult, both emotionally and socially.”
Precocious Puberty Explained
In normal puberty, the brain makes a hormone that signals the ovaries and testicles to start producing female and male hormones. Precocious puberty can occur if the brain starts this process too soon.
In the majority of girls who have precocious puberty, there is no known cause. In boys, precocious puberty is more likely to be associated with an underlying problem.
What to Watch For
A medical exam can rule out possible causes and determine whether intervention is needed.
Medication is available to slow or stop sexual development and prevent long-term effects of early puberty such as short stature in adulthood.
Visit your child’s family doctor or pediatrician if your child shows the following signs of precocious puberty before eight-years-old for girls or nine-years-old for boys:
- Breast development in girls
- First period
- Development of pubic hair, body odor and/or acne
- Rapid increase in height
- Enlargement of testicles or penis
