What Is Precocious Puberty?
Precocious Puberty is a term used to describe when a girl starts going through puberty, including menstruating, at an earlier age than what is normal. According to Google Health, Precocious Puberty is defined as a girl 8-years and younger who is going through physical changes that will transition her from a little girl into a woman.
What Are The Symptoms Of Precocious Puberty?
The symptoms of Precocious Puberty are the same as an older girl starting puberty. Growing underarm or pubic hair, developing breasts, menstruating, acne, growth spurts, and body odor occurring before a girl turns nine years of age will lead to a diagnosis of Precocious Puberty.
Until recently, Precocious Puberty was called Prepubescent Puberty.
What Causes Precocious Puberty?
Puberty generally begins between the ages of ten and fourteen, however, some children may begin transitioning into womanhood as young as nine years old. Family history, diet, diet, health problems, and medications may cause a girl to start to go through puberty at a young age.
Researchers theorize that some girls will go through precocious puberty because of changes in brain chemistry, genetics, or tumors. Examples of a few specific medical conditions that are known to cause precocious puberty are Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Hypothalamic Hamartoma, and McCune-Albright Syndrome.
What Are The Complications Of Precocious Puberty?
The only known physical complication of Precocious Puberty is that the affected individuals do not grow to their full height because growth stops earlier than usual. Other complications include behavioral problems, depression, and being sexually harassed by their peers.
How Does Precocious Puberty Affect Mental Health?
Children who experience precocious puberty have an increased risk of acting out, having poor self-esteem, depression, and abusing drugs and alcohol. This is not due to the condition, but due to outside factors that make the child feel different than their friends and from other children teasing or sexually harassing them.
Does Precocious Puberty Cause Girl To Become Sexually Active At An Earlier Age?
Whether precocious puberty will cause your child to become sexually active at an earlier age depends on the child. The condition itself will not cause your child to engage in certain behaviors at a younger age, however, boys will notice that they are more developed and girls may start socializing with older girls, which may lead to risky behavior.
What Can I Do If My Daughter Has Precocious Puberty?
Parents, especially mothers, will start to panic and worry when they realize their 8-year-old child has started going through puberty. It is important to remain calm, answer any questions that your child has, and to schedule an appointment with the doctor, preferably a gynecologist. The doctor will probably perform an examination and test for medical conditions that may be causing the child to go through Precocious Puberty. Since the child is still in elementary school, you will need to discuss how to handle sexual harassment and how to deal with questions and comments. The restrooms in elementary schools generally do not have machines that dispense sanitary napkins, so in the event that your child is caught off-guard with her period, you will need to remind her that if she does not have any with her, then her teachers and the school nurse can assist her.
Precocious Puberty is not as rare as it used to be, although it is still considered to be an uncommon condition. Girls are going through puberty at younger ages every year. This condition is not just happening in the United States, but all over the world. Statistics from www.targetwoman.com estimate that one out of every six girls under age 8 experiences Precocious Puberty. The numbers may be higher, as some mothers are not alarmed if their child starts developing at a young age and are not aware that it can be a sign of a tumor or other illness.
Precocious Puberty may also affect boys, but the symptoms are not as obvious and they do not seem to go through the behavioral problems or engaging in risky activities as much as girls.
Sources:
Target Woman: Precocious Puberty, http://www.targetwoman.com/articles/precocious-puberty.html
Google Health: Precocious Puberty, https://health.google.com/health/ref/Precocious+puberty
