Precocious Puberty Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

What is Precocious Puberty?

When the body of a child starts changing into a body of an adult very earlier, the condition is called precocious puberty. Puberty which starts prior the age of nine in boys and prior the age of eight in girls is believed early puberty. It includes fast development of muscles and bones, changes in the size and shape of the body and development in reproduction ability.

Often, what exactly causes precocious puberty remains a mystery. Sometimes, specific conditions for example brain injuries and abnormalities, tumors, hormone disorders and infections are considered for leading it. Usually, its treatments include medication that can delay and slowdown further development.

What are the symptoms of precocious puberty?

Prior the age of eight in girls, signs of precocious puberty include:

Breast growth.
Menarche- first menstrual period.

Prior the age of nine in boys, signs of precocious puberty include:

Facial hair.
Enlarged penis and testicles.
Deepening voice.

Symptoms that tend to occur in girls or boys are:

Adult body odor.
Acne.
Rapid growth.
Underarm or pubic hair.

What causes precocious puberty?

At times, the condition is caused by brain injury, infection (for example meningitis), and problem in thyroid gland, ovaries or brain (for example tumor). Though, they may not be the actual causes in usual cases as many girls experience early puberty for no specific reason.

Precocious puberty is less common in boys than girls, and is possibly linked with a causal medical concern. In approximately five to six percent of boys, the condition is inherited. However; in girls, less than a percent inherit precocious puberty.

What are the risk factors of precocious puberty?

Certain factors known to increase the chances of early puberty include:

Being obese.
Being African-American.
Being a girl.
Exposed to sex hormones.
Suffering from some other medical conditions such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
Received radiation therapy in the past.

What are the potential complications of precocious puberty?

Few complications linked with precocious puberty are:

Emotional and social problems.
Short height.

How is precocious puberty diagnosed?

In order to diagnose the condition, the doctor will perform a thorough physical examination. He or she will review the medical history of the child and her/his family. Moreover, the doctor will also suggest blood tests in order to measure the levels of hormone. Importantly, X-rays of the wrist and hand of the child will also help diagnose the condition.

How is precocious puberty treated?

Its treatment aims to stop, perhaps reverse the inception of puberty. The doctor will prepare the treatment plan depending upon its underlying cause, in case the doctor managed to identify.

Prevention:

Few factors for example race and sex are of course, cannot be avoided. Though, there are certain things one can do in order to minimize your child’s risk of precocious puberty, such as: