Precocious puberty is a condition where childrens bodies begin to change into adult bodies too soon. Puberty that happens early is called precocious puberty, and it means that a childs physical signs of sexual maturity develop too soon. The traditional definition of precocious puberty is the development of secondary sexual characteristics before 8 years of age in girls and 9 years in boys.
There are two types of precocious puberty: central precocious puberty and peripheral precocious puberty. With central precocious puberty, puberty starts too soon but develops as usual. For most children with this condition, theres no medical problem or other known reason for the early puberty. In rare cases, a tumor in the brain or spinal cord or a change in the brain thats present at birth can cause central precocious puberty. Peripheral precocious puberty is caused by the early release of sex hormones from the ovaries, testes, or adrenal glands. This type of precocious puberty is more common in girls than in boys.
The signs of precocious puberty can be like other health conditions. Common signs in girls can include breast development before age 7 or 8, start of menstruation (her period) before age 10, rapid growth, and body odor. Common signs in boys can include enlargement of the testicles or penis before age 9, pubic or underarm hair before age 9, rapid growth, and body odor.
The goal of treatment for precocious puberty is to stop the onset of early puberty signs. In some cases, the signs can be reversed. Treatment will depend on the type of precocious puberty and the cause. For central precocious puberty, medication can be used to slow or stop the onset of puberty. For peripheral precocious puberty, treatment will depend on the underlying cause.
