Puberty is the time during which sexual and physical characteristics mature. Precocious puberty is when these body changes happen earlier than normal.
Alternative NamesPubertas praecox
Causes, incidence, and risk factorsPuberty usually begins between ages 10 and 14 for girls, and ages 12 and 16 for boys. Some African American girls may start puberty earlier, around age 9.
The exact age a child enters puberty depends on a number of factors, including family history, nutrition, and gender.
Often there is no clear cause for precocious puberty, but some cases are due to changes in the brain, genetic problems, or certain tumors that release hormones. These conditions include:
In girls, precocious puberty is when any of the following develop before age 8:
Some evidence suggests that it may be normal for these changes to occur as early as age 7 in Caucasian girls and age 6 in African-American girls.
In boys, precocious puberty is when any of the following develop before age 9:
Blood hormone levels, CT scan of the brain or of the abdomen and MRI of the brain or of the abdomen are often used to diagnose the problem.
TreatmentMedications can stop the release of sexual hormones. Some tumors need to be removed with surgery.
ComplicationsChildren who go through puberty too early may not reach their full height because growth stops too early.
Children with early sexual development are more likely to have psychological and social problems. Children and adolescents generally want to be the same as their peers, and early sexual development can make them appear different. This can result in self-esteem problems, depression, acting out at school and home, and abuse of alcohol and illegal substances.
Calling your health care providerSee your health care provider if:
Puberty is the time during which sexual and physical characteristics mature. Precocious puberty is when these body changes happen earlier than normal.
Alternative NamesPubertas praecox
Causes, incidence, and risk factorsPuberty usually begins between ages 10 and 14 for girls, and ages 12 and 16 for boys. Some African American girls may start puberty earlier, around age 9.
The exact age a child enters puberty depends on a number of factors, including family history, nutrition, and gender.
Often there is no clear cause for precocious puberty, but some cases are due to changes in the brain, genetic problems, or certain tumors that release hormones. These conditions include:
In girls, precocious puberty is when any of the following develop before age 8:
Some evidence suggests that it may be normal for these changes to occur as early as age 7 in Caucasian girls and age 6 in African-American girls.
In boys, precocious puberty is when any of the following develop before age 9:
Blood hormone levels, CT scan of the brain or of the abdomen and MRI of the brain or of the abdomen are often used to diagnose the problem.
TreatmentMedications can stop the release of sexual hormones. Some tumors need to be removed with surgery.
ComplicationsChildren who go through puberty too early may not reach their full height because growth stops too early.
Children with early sexual development are more likely to have psychological and social problems. Children and adolescents generally want to be the same as their peers, and early sexual development can make them appear different. This can result in self-esteem problems, depression, acting out at school and home, and abuse of alcohol and illegal substances.
Calling your health care providerSee your health care provider if:
Review Date: 08/02/2011
Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
precocious?1 : exceptionally early in development or occurrence 2 : exhibiting mature qualities at an unusually early age
Yes. Precocious as defined by Dictionary.com is "unusually advanced or mature in development".
There are no psychological causes of precocious puberty, but there are some physiological causes. The most common cause of precocious puberty are tumors.
It would be early for a boy which is classed as precocious puberty. See your Doctor for advice.
If you're concerned about your daughter's precocious puberty then it's a good idea to talk to your doctor to see if it is something to be concerned about and whether it is an option to prevent this. Puberty can start as young as 8 years old, but there are girls who enter puberty much sooner, as long as either you or they can manage symptoms of puberty it isn't usually anything to worry about.
yes
MAGIC (Major Aspects of Growth In Children)
Sexual development before the age of eight in girls, and age 10 in boys.
Sexual feelings will arise, whether it occurs normally or very early, as in the case of precocious puberty. Any child entering puberty before the age of 8 in girls or 9 in boys, should be seen by a doctor to rule out brain tumor or other disease process that might be triggering early puberty. The reason why this is important is that growth stops once puberty concludes, so children with very early onset puberty tend to be shorter than their peers.
i think that over all the best thing to do is to just be there for her, and explain what is happening to her in a way that she will understand. i hope this helps
Physical exams can reveal characteristics of puberty, bone x rays can reveal bone age, and pelvic ultrasound, MRI or CAT scans may rule out tumors. Blood tests can determine hormone levels.
No it doesn't, because it is normal for boys to start getting hair under his arms and in the pubic region at 11. This hair is normally straight, fine and non-pigmented hair and it signals the start of early puberty. When a boy goes through "precocious" puberty, that is, starts puberty earlier than 9 years of age, they run the risk of not growing as tall as their peers This is because when puberty completes, the growth plates on the bones close and stop growing in length. Precocious puberty is a treatable medical condition, and boys showing signs of puberty at a very young age should be seen by a pediatric endocrinologist to address the possible complications.