awareness of precocious puberty

Diagnosing Precocious Puberty

Talk to your doctor if your child shows any signs of early sexual maturation (before age 7 or 8 in girls or age 9 in boys), including breast development, rapid height growth, menstruation, acne, enlarged testicles or ****, or pubic or underarm hair.
The physical changes boys and girls go through during puberty are usually evident to a doctor during an exam. To confirm a diagnosis of precocious puberty, the doctor may order blood and urine tests to look for high levels of sex hormones. And X-rays of your child's wrist and hand can show whether the bones are maturing too rapidly.
Imaging and scanning tests such as CT scans, MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging), and ultrasound studies can help rule out specific causes of precocious puberty, such as a tumour in the brain, ovary, or testicle.

How Precocious Puberty Affects Kids

When puberty ends, growth in height stops. Because their skeletons mature and bone growth stops at an earlier age than normal, kids with precocious puberty usually don't reach their full adult height potential. Their early growth spurt may make them initially tall when compared with their peers, but they may stop growing too soon and end up at a shorter height than they would have otherwise.
Going through puberty early also can be difficult for kids emotionally and socially. For example, girls with precocious Puberty may be confused or embarrassed about physical changes such as getting their periods or having enlarged breasts well before any of their peers. But the hardest part may be the teasing and bullying these kids with the condition, especially girls may experience. Even emotions and behaviour may change in kids with precocious puberty. Girls can become moody and irritable. Boys can become more aggressive and also develop a sex drive inappropriate for their age. Even emotions and behaviour may change in kids with precocious puberty. Girls can become moody and irritable. Boys can become more aggressive and also develop a sex drive inappropriate for their age.

Puberty is when kids develop physically and emotionally into young men and women. Usually, this starts to happen about 7 to 8 years of age in girls (the average age is about 10) and 9 years of age for boys (the average age is about 11). But what if a younger child, for example, a 5-year-old girl begins showing the signs of puberty? How would it affect her? Puberty before the age 7 or 8 in girls and age 9 in boys can be physically and emotionally difficult and is sometimes the sign of a health problem.

Signs of Precocious Puberty

In girls, the telltale signs of precocious puberty include any of the following before 7 or 8 years of age:
•   breast development
•   pubic or underarm hair development
•   rapid height growth — a growth "spurt"
•   start of menstruation (her period)
•   acne
•   "mature" body odour

In boys, the signs of precocious puberty before 9 years of age include:
•   enlargement of the testicles or ****
•   pubic, underarm, or facial hair development
•   rapid height growth — a growth "spurt"
•   voice deepening
•   acne
•   "mature" body odour

Many kids who show some of the early signs of puberty have what's known as "partial" precocious puberty. Some girls, usually beginning between the ages of 6 months and 3 years, may show breast development that later disappears or may last without other physical changes of puberty. Similarly, some girls and boys may have early growth of pubic and/or underarm hair that isn't related to other changes in sexual development. Kids with "partial" precocious puberty may need to see their doctor to rule out "true" precocious puberty or other health problems. But most need no treatment and usually will show the other expected signs of puberty at the usual age.

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