Understanding Precocious Puberty: Symptoms and Treatments

What is precocious puberty?

Precocious puberty is when children's bodies begin to change into adult bodies too soon. This change is known as puberty. Most of the time, puberty occurs after age 8 in girls and after age 9 in boys. However, Black, Hispanic, and Native American children might naturally reach puberty earlier.

Is early puberty abnormal?

Studies indicate that breast development in girls and the appearance of pubic hair in both girls and boys are starting earlier than in previous generations. As a result, "early puberty" in children as young as 8 and 9 is no longer considered abnormal, particularly with girls.

What are the different types of precocious puberty?

There are two types of precocious puberty: central precocious puberty and peripheral precocious puberty. The cause of this type of precocious puberty often isn't known. With central precocious puberty, puberty starts too soon but develops as usual.

What is central precocious puberty (CPP)?

Central precocious puberty (CPP) occurs when the brain secretes gonadotropins at an abnormally young age. Gonadotropins are hormones released by the pituitary gland. They signal the gonads, located in girls’ ovaries and boys’ testicles, to produce sex hormones responsible for the physical changes associated with puberty.

What are the signs and symptoms of precocious puberty?

The signs and symptoms of precocious puberty in both sexes include acne, body odor and a growth spurt. Precocious puberty also causes sexual characteristics to develop early. In girls and children AFAB, these include: Breast development. Menstruation. Pubic and underarm hair. Early puberty in boys and children AMAB may cause: A deepening voice.

Is early puberty a sign of an underlying condition?

In some cases, early puberty or delayed puberty could be a sign of an underlying condition that may need to be treated. Some girls and boys may develop certain signs of puberty at a young age, but not others. For example, girls may start periods before the age of 8 but have no breast development. See your GP if this happens to your child.

Can a boy get precocious puberty too early?

This can cause boys, usually between ages 1 and 4, to make testosterone too early. Factors that increase the risk of precocious puberty include: Being a girl.

What Is Precocious Puberty

1. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/early-or-delayed-puberty/
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/precocious-puberty/symptoms-causes/syc-20351811
3. https://www.webmd.com/children/precocious-puberty
4. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21064-precocious-early-puberty
5. https://www.healthline.com/health/precocious-puberty
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precocious_puberty
7. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/precocious-puberty
8. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/precocious-puberty
9. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=precocious-puberty-90-P01973

Precocious Puberty Information

1. https://kingstonhospital.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/A0109-V1-Early-precocious-puberty-in-children.pdf
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544313/
3. https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.l6597