Precocious puberty is the term used for puberty that starts much earlier than usual. Puberty is the process in which a child has a growth spurt and develops the physical sexual characteristics of an adult. Children affected by precocious puberty have changes before the age of 9. Girls develop secondary sexual characteristics, such as breasts, before the age of 8.
In the brain, the hypothalamus releases chemicals, or hormones, that cause the pituitary gland to release hormones called gonadotropins. Gonadotropins stimulate the growth of the sex glands or gonads. These gonads are the testicles in boys and the ovaries in girls. In turn, the testicles release testosterone in boys, and the ovaries release estrogen in girls. Puberty usually begins between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and between the ages of 9 and 14 in boys..
What is precocious puberty?
Precocious puberty, also known as early puberty, is when the body of a boy or girl begins to go through the change to an adult body too early. Puberty It begins on average between 8 and 13 years of age in girls and between 9 and 14 years of age in girls. Doctors diagnose the condition when puberty begins before ages 8 and 9, respectively, and continues through accelerated growth and bone maturation. It is not really known why this condition occurs, which occurs in about 1 in 5000 children.
There are two types of precocious puberty:
- central precocious puberty. It is the most common. It's like normal puberty, but it happens early. The pituitary gland begins to produce hormones called gonadotropins. These hormones cause the testes and ovaries to make other hormones: testosterone and estrogen. These sex hormones cause the changes of puberty, such as the development of breasts in girls.
- peripheral precocious puberty or pseudoprecocious puberty. This is a different condition, and it is also less common. The hormones estrogen and testosterone trigger the symptoms. But the brain and the pituitary gland are not involved in the process. This is usually a specific problem with the ovaries, testicles, adrenal gland, or an underactive thyroid gland.
Conditions that can be confused with precocious puberty
There are some conditions that can be confused with precocious puberty due to the physical changes they generate in boys and girls, but if they appear isolated they do not mean that the boy or girl suffers from precocious puberty. Those conditions are as follows:
- premature thelarche. This is when a girl's breasts begin to grow at a young age.
- premature pubarche. Is when the hair pubic or axillary gland begins to grow at an early age. This condition can be the result of premature adrenarche, that is, when the adrenal glands begin to release sex hormones prematurely. It's not usually a problem, and it's not usually an early sign of puberty. Because it may be the first sign of an unusual and abundant release of adrenal hormones, it's best to see a doctor.
Symptoms of precocious puberty
The signs of precocious puberty and normal puberty are usually the same, they only differ in the moment in which they occur. The symptoms are as follows:
General symptoms in both sexes
- rapid growth in height
- Acne
- Appearance of body odor adult
- Appearance of adult body hair, on the pubis, legs and armpits
changes in girls
- The breasts begin to develop.
- Menstruation, 2 or 3 years after the first symptoms begin
changes in children
- The testicles, penis, and scrotum begin to grow
- Deepening of the voice, as a late symptom of puberty
Causes of precocious puberty
In most cases, experts don't know what causes central precocious puberty, especially in girls. A small number of cases of central precocious puberty are due to an underlying medical problem, being less common in girls. However, if the cause is this medical problem, it affects boys and girls under the age of 6 equally, especially if puberty progresses rapidly. These causes can be:
- Tumors and other growths, which are usually benign
- Brain injury, which affects the hormonal balance, whether this injury is due to surgery or a blow to the head
- brain swelling, usually from an infection