What child is considered precocious puberty?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Dr., Doctor Bui Phuong Thao - Pediatric Center, Vinmec Times City International Hospital. Doctor Thao has more than 20 years of experience in the diagnosis, treatment and care of infants and young children, and is a doctor at the National Children's Hospital. Her strength is in the diagnosis, treatment and care of infants and young children, examination and treatment of endocrinology.
Early puberty in children is a matter of concern for many parents. In rare cases, early puberty can be a manifestation of dangerous diseases such as ovarian cysts, brain tumors, thyroid diseases, etc. Therefore, parents should learn carefully about this disease. this situation to best protect the health of the child.

1. What is precocious puberty?

Many parents are concerned about what early puberty is. Precocious puberty is the development of sexual characteristics earlier than normal (before age 8 in girls, menstruation before age 9; in boys before age 9).
In particular, parents need to clearly distinguish true puberty from precocious breast growth - a benign disorder in which breasts grow alone, without other signs of puberty.

2. Classification of early puberty in children

By rate of progression Rapid progression: Most girls with precocious puberty (especially those that start puberty before age 6) fall into this category. Babies go through each stage (including bone growth cartilage closure) at such a rapid rate that they lose a lot of their potential height when they reach adulthood. When they become adults, they will be in the 5% shortest height group compared to their peers. Slow progression: Many girls who start puberty early (especially those who start puberty after age 7) go through all stages at an average rate. Children will skyrocket early but continue to grow until their bones reach their final maturity at about 16 years of age. Doesn't last: Some children have precocious puberty with pubertal changes that begin and end quickly.

According to the effects of the organs Central precocious puberty (or true precocious puberty): Due to the early action of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and depends mainly on gonadotropic hormones. Peripheral precocious puberty (or pseudoprecocious puberty): Precocious puberty independent of pituitary stimulation, independent of gonadotropin. Partial Precocious Puberty (or Separate, Incomplete Precocious Puberty): A form of puberty with early and isolated development of a secondary sexual characteristic, either nonprogressive or very slowly progressing.

3. Causes of early puberty in children

The majority of cases of precocious puberty in children today have no specific cause, but merely premature maturation. However, some factors can increase the risk of causing this change, such as:
Children with brain tumors, ovarian cysts, testicular tumors, thyroid diseases. Precocious puberty is more common in girls than boys. The amount of estrogen put into the child's body is too much through food, plastic,... Genetic causes. Due to drugs.

4. Signs of early puberty in children

Precocious puberty in girls is characterized by breast growth, pubic or armpit hair growth, changes in the shape of the external genitalia, and the onset of menstruation. Early puberty in boys has signs such as testicles or penis enlargement, pubic or armpit hair, acne, and a deepening voice. Rapid increase in height and weight is a sign of early puberty in both sexes.
During puberty, young bones continuously mature. In precocious puberty, the period of rapid growth begins early and ends earlier than normal. At first, children will grow up compared to their peers but after a few years, they will stop growing in height and often cannot reach their full adult height.
Precocious puberty in children causes many undesirable consequences such as limiting height growth, causing psychological disturbances for children,... Therefore, if you suspect that your child has signs of early puberty, steps should be taken. Parents should have their children examined, diagnosed and intervened early to bring the child's growth rate back to normal.
The early puberty screening package being implemented at Vinmec International General Hospital is the right choice of parents to have accurate conclusions about the health status and development of their children. Your baby will be examined with a leading specialist in Pediatric Endocrinology, will have sex hormone blood tests, bone age assessment tests, brain MRI scans or some more specialized tests to determine the right diagnosis. causes of precocious puberty and timely intervention.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : Including leading experts with high professional qualifications (professor, associate professor, doctorate, master), rich experience, worked in big hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment. >>See more: LH testing and puberty in children - Article written by MSc Tran Quynh Trang - Doctor of Biochemistry, Laboratory Department - Vinmec Times City International Hospital

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