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07 Apr 2006 09:42 AM

Precocious Puberty: How it Could Affect Your Child

by Kristyn Crow | More from this Blogger

Precocious Puberty is a condition where a child enters into his or her sexual development too early. What is not commonly known is that children with neurological disorders of every kind are twenty times more likely to experience early-onset puberty than neuro-typical kids. A study found that children with various forms of autistic disorder typically have higher levels of testosterone in their family members than that of non-autistic children. This elevated level of testosterone has been shown to be a risk factor, and it's prenatal.

What is too early?

For girls, any signs of sexual development prior to age eight may indicate a problem. For boys, signs of puberty should not precede age nine. However, eight and nine are still quite early and if a child is showing symptoms he should probably be evaluated.

What are the signs?

In girls, look for the following:

• Body odor
• Acne
• A sudden rapid growth spurt
• Menstruation onset
• Breast development
• Pubic or underarm hair development

In boys, you might observe:

• Voice Deepening
• Acne
• Sudden growth spurt, especially height increase
• Facial Hair Development
• Genital enlargement
• Pubic or underarm hair development

Note: Some children can have what is called partial precocious puberty, where they exhibit some of the symptoms, and not others.

What causes it to happen?

The hypothalamus is the center in the brain which controls functioning of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is a pea-sized gland on the lower part of the brain which triggers hormone activity in the testicles or ovaries. When a child has a neurological disorder, has experienced brain trauma, or even contracts an infection such as meningitis, brain chemistry can be altered. The pituitary gland can get mixed-up signals and set off the onset of puberty too early.

Can anything be done to remedy the situation?

If you suspect precocious puberty in your child, you should immediately have her seen by a doctor. If the doctor agrees that early signs are present, he will likely conduct blood tests to measure hormone levels. If the diagnosis of precocious puberty is made, the first thing that will be considered is...why is this happening? In many cases, precocious puberty is a sign of another underlying condition. This larger condition needs to be uncovered first. However, sometimes precocious puberty seems to have no medical explanation.

There are drug therapies available which will halt the onset of puberty in your child. These drugs are called LHRH analogs, synthetic hormones which interrupt the body's production of sex hormones. These medications have few, if any, side effects, and in most cases are extremely effective. Sometimes within a very short period of time, the signs of puberty in the child will start to visibly disappear.

Can't we just leave well enough alone?

The problem with early-onset puberty is that once it "ends," the child does not grow any taller. So a child who starts sexual maturity at an earlier age will finish puberty sooner, and thus be shorter in stature than he might otherwise have been. Even though the child may initially seem taller than other children due to the early growth spurt, eventually his growth would taper off while his peers surpass him. This is especially problematic for boys, who often develop a significant amount of self-esteem based on height and stature. Also, for females, there are usually dramatic emotional problems associated with precocious puberty. Girls are often teased and made to be objects of sexually inappropriate jokes by the pre-pubescent children around them, who find their early development embarrassing.

The good news is that help is available for your child. Be an observant parent, and if something in his or her development feels amiss, have it checked out. Work closely with your child's doctor, and, once again, be your son or daughter's best advocate!

Learn more about Kristyn Crow

Kristyn Crow is the mother of seven children, and the author of three children's books. Visit her website at www.kristyncrow.com.

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