What is Precocious Puberty?
Puberty is the transitional period between childhood and adulthood in which they develop secondary sexual characters and takes place a growth spurt known as the pubertal growth spurt period.
Sexual signs displayed on the girl between 9-11 years, and the pubertal growth spurt is between 10-12 years. In boys, puberty happens between 11-13 years, and the pubertal growth spurt occurs between 12-14 years. If a child with a child aged 13 to 15 show no signs of pubertal development is reason enough to go to consultation.
In girls, as breast button appears to be produced faster growth. However, in children, this occurs at the end, that is, when they have fully developed all of its secondary sexual characteristics. Although precocious puberty children is less common, growth of the testicles, penis or pubic hair before the age of 9 can be a symptom of having a pituitary or hypothalamic tumor.
Precocious puberty
Precocious puberty is defined as the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics (pubic hair, armpit hair and breasts) before age 8 in girls and 9 to the child. Clinical progression leads to accelerated bone maturation and early onset of menarche (first period). If there are between 8 and 9 years old is called early puberty, a situation that is the bottom of the normal distribution.
In the physiological development in the child usually appears in breast button first, second, the pubic hair (although in one out of every 6 girls see this before), third, armpit hair and finally the rule. However, this order may be altered, especially in cases where early puberty is not dependent on the secretion of pituitary hormones (precocious puberty of central origin or gonadotropin-dependent), but is triggered by autonomous production of estrogen in the ovary (peripheral precocious puberty or gonadotropin independent).
Precocious puberty is more common in girls
Precocious or early puberty is a phenomenon sometimes hereditary. 1% of girls and 5% of children have a family history. The incidence of precocious puberty is calculated 1/5000-1/10000 live births. It is much more common in girls than in boys (ratio 23:1). It is also much more common that is of unknown cause in the child (idiopathic) and due to an organic process by over 40% of children.