What is precocious puberty?
Precocious puberty occurs when a child’s body begins to change to that of an adult before the age of eight years for girls, or nine years for boys. It is not always entirely clear what causes precocious puberty, but sometimes the diagnosis can reveal an underlying cause, such as a genetic disorder or tumor. Precocious puberty is a rare condition, but it is more common in girls than in boys.
How can precocious puberty affect my child?
Normally, a slight change is expected when a child begins puberty. However, precocious puberty is a serious condition because it causes a child’s bones to stop growing at an earlier age. This can prevent the child from reaching his or her potential adult height.
Reaching puberty before other children can also be a difficult experience for your child, making them feel self-conscious and socially isolated. Therefore, it is important that precocious puberty be recognized and treated early on.
Precocious puberty is a serious condition because it causes a child’s bones to stop growing at an earlier age.
Symptoms of precocious puberty
Precocious puberty can be identified by the common signs of puberty:
- In boys, these signs may be a deeper voice, facial hair, or enlarged genitals.
- In girls, these signs may be breast growth or menstruation.
In both boys and girls, symptoms may include pubic hair, acne, body odor, and accelerated growth.
Medical tests to diagnose precocious puberty
It is important to go to the doctor with a complete medical history and records. The diagnosis may include questions about the height of your relatives.
The doctor will also do some blood tests to measure your child’s hormone levels.
Precocious puberty usually causes bones to grow faster, so the doctor will take some X-rays of your child’s hand and wrist to determine bone age and check for any abnormalities.
Treatments for precocious puberty
Treatment will depend on the cause of precocious puberty. Treatment of an underlying condition, such as a tumor, may resolve the problem on its own. Sometimes, however, the doctor will recommend taking medication to stop puberty for a few years until the child is old enough to start puberty again.
What type of specialist treats precocious puberty?
Your child will probably only need to see a primary care physician unless an underlying cause is suspected that needs to be investigated. However, he may also need to see a radiologist for an X-ray or MRI if a tumor is suspected.