[Health Tip] Early Puberty Compared to Peers May Indicate Precocious Puberty

Puberty is an essential stage in a child's growth process, but if it occurs earlier than peers, it is necessary to regulate the speed of secondary sexual characteristics. This is because childhood growth may end before the skeleton is properly developed.

When is the average onset of secondary sexual characteristics, and how early must puberty be to be diagnosed as precocious puberty? Professor Choi Jung-eun of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescents at Ewha Mokdong Hospital explained the diagnosis and treatment of precocious puberty.

Professor Choi stated, "Secondary sexual characteristics appearing before the age of 8 in girls and before 9 in boys can be considered precocious puberty," adding, "The main features of secondary sexual characteristics are breast development in girls and testicular enlargement and pubic hair growth in boys."

Generally, secondary sexual characteristics, commonly called puberty, occur between ages 9 and 13 in girls and between 10 and 14 in boys. If it occurs about one year earlier than this period, it is called 'early puberty,' and if about one year later, it is called 'delayed puberty.'

Factors influencing the timing of puberty are complex, including genetics, nutrition (obesity), social background, and environmental hormones. If the parents experienced early puberty, the child may also develop it early, with genetic factors accounting for 70-80% of the influence.

Professor Choi advised, "If puberty starts early, the child may initially seem to grow well, but the bone age advances faster, and compared to children who start puberty at a normal time, the adult height may actually be shorter. Moreover, psychological issues such as feeling different from peers can arise, so parental attention is necessary."

Additionally, Professor Choi explained, "To diagnose and assess the progression of precocious puberty, medical history, physical examination, bone age tests, and sex hormone tests are conducted. If diagnosed with precocious puberty, treatment involves administering precocious puberty medication via subcutaneous or intramuscular injections in the arm or buttocks to suppress sex hormone secretion and align puberty development with peers."

For a definitive diagnosis of precocious puberty, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test is generally performed. If the LH level increases to 5.0 IU/L or higher, accompanied by advanced bone age and development of secondary sexual characteristics, it is diagnosed as central precocious puberty. Additionally, pelvic ultrasound, MRI, and other imaging tests may be conducted as needed.

The treatment period usually lasts 2 to 5 years, with evaluations of sexual maturity and growth every 3 to 6 months during treatment, and regular bone age assessments. Professor Choi said, "The main goals of treating precocious puberty are to synchronize pubertal development with peers, minimize loss of final adult height, and reduce psychosocial problems. Early and consistent treatment can enhance effectiveness."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.