Adrenarche – Early sexual development
Precocious Puberty (Precocious Sexual Development, Premature Puberty)
What is early puberty?
Early puberty – abnormality of the body, characterized by an unusually early onset of puberty. Usually, thus refers to the following terms of the beginning of puberty:
- Age 8 years in girls;
- Age 9 years in boys.
Causes of early sexual development
Sexual maturation – a complex process, involving the brain, various organs and hormones. When puberty begins at an early age, it might just be a deviation from the usual in terms of the beginning of puberty.
But, approximately 25% -75% children's early sexual development occurs because of health problems. Nonetheless, reasons for the early start of puberty, many girls and boys are unknown.
In rare cases, precocious puberty can cause a variety of diseases:
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia;
- McCune-Albright Syndrome;
- Tumors of the testes or disease, the ovaries or adrenal glands;
- HCG-secreting tumors;
- Gamartoma gipotalamusa (SG) – a rare benign tumor of the brain area near the hypothalamus;
- Severe hypothyroidism.
Other reasons:
- Severe head trauma;
- Infections of the central nervous system;
- Exposure to radiation;
- Estrogen – girls;
- Acceptance of the male sex hormones – boys.
Risk factors for early puberty
Early puberty is more common in girls. Other factors, which may increase the likelihood of early puberty include baby:
- Family history of early puberty;
- Traumatic brain injury;
- Infection of the brain;
- Treatment of brain tumors with radiation therapy;
- Receiving hormones;
- Some studies suggest a link between obesity and premature puberty.
The symptoms of early puberty
Symptoms of precocious puberty in girls may include:
- The development of the mammary glands, pubic hair and armpits;
- The increase in ovarian;
- Cysts on the ovaries;
- Menstrual bleeding.
Symptoms of precocious puberty in boys may include:
- Growth of penis and testicles;
- The growth of pubic hair and hair in the armpits;
- Increased muscle mass;
- Voice changes;
- Facial hair.
Symptoms in boys and girls include:
- Reinforced body odor;
- Acne;
- Changes in behavior;
- Increased growth.
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Diagnosis of early puberty
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history of the child, and perform a physical examination. This will accomplish evaluation stages of puberty and growth. The child may be referred to an endocrinologist, who specializes in hormonal and metabolic disorders.
For a detailed survey may need pictures of internal organs and structures of the body. For this purpose, applied:
- Roentgen;
- Abdominal ultrasound;
- Testicular ultrasound;
- MRT.
Extras can be assigned to blood.
Treatment of early puberty
On the basis of the examination the doctor determine the best treatment. Treatment options include:
Medications for early puberty
For the treatment of precocious puberty, depending on its type may be used various drugs. These drugs help stop or slow sexual development. They will also help stop the rapid growth of bone tissue and promote normal growth of the organism.
Psychological support
Precocious puberty can lead to social problems in some children when communicating with their peers. In this case, it may be helpful psychological support. Talk to your doctor about this.
Treatment of the underlying disease in early puberty
If the cause of precocious puberty is a disease, We need to concentrate on his treatment.
Surgery for early puberty
Surgery may be needed, if early puberty is caused by the presence of a tumor or other damage. The procedure will depend on the location and size of the tumor.
Ongoing monitoring
The doctor regularly checks the growth, weight, and sexual development of the child. This will help to draw attention to any changes, or to see the effectiveness of treatment.
Prevention of early puberty
At the moment, there are no guidelines for the prevention of premature puberty.
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