Back to home Oct. 2012
Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida
Physicians Work to Halt Early Puberty
Puberty changes everything. The physical and
mental changes that normally occur in the
tween or teen years can be challenging,
embarrassing and uncomfortable.
Those feelings are magnified when the process begins before age 8 in girls and age 9 in boys. Known as "precocious puberty," the condition affects girls more often than boys. In some cases, the pituitary gland signals the ovaries and testes to begin production of pubertal hormones prematurely. In most cases, however, there is no identifiable reason for it.
"Signs of early puberty may appear from excess hormones produced by adrenal glands—resulting in body odor, hair in the pubic area or under the arms—as well as ovaries or testicular abnormalities," says pediatric endocrinologist, Sujana Reddy, M.D. "Family history plays a significant role in determining child's pubertal age of onset. It is important to have a complete history from the parents, including whether there has been any exposure to topical/ cream products that may have hormonal properties. Recently, there have been several case reports of inadvertent contact with adults using products such as a testosterone gel."
Some other causes of early onset of puberty could be brain/spinal cord injury, birth defects, tumors, genetic reasons or hormone disorders. Recent studies have linked early onset of puberty to environmental factors such as pesticides and plastics that contain endocrine disruptors such as BPA and phthalates.
"Children who begin puberty early, especially girls, have higher chances of suffering from depression and anxiety as result of early physical changes in appearance," Dr. Reddy says. "Consequently, they tend to have low self-esteem and are at greater risk of substance abuse."
Precocious puberty also affects physical growth and development. Kids initially gain too much height too soon, but stop growing early, resulting in being short as an adult.
Girls, particularly those of African-American descent, carry a greater risk of developing precocious puberty. "Because we cannot avoid gender and race, parents can help decrease the likelihood of their child developing precocious puberty by having them eat healthy and maintain appropriate weight and keeping them away from external sources of estrogen and testosterone, if present," Dr. Reddy says.
Dr. Reddy and other physicians use a variety of treatment methods to delay or halt the onset of puberty in young children. Many children benefit from injections that delay the onset until the child reaches the normal age. If the cause is a tumor, surgery to remove the tumor usually halts the signs of early puberty. "We want our patients to live normal lives," Dr. Reddy says. "That means going through all of the changes in life, including puberty, when it's most healthy."
“We want our patients to live normal lives”. “That means going through all of the changes in life, including puberty, when it's most healthy,” says Dr. Reddy.
Precocious Puberty
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Sujana Reddy, M.D.
Pediatric Endocrinology
Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida
15901 Bass Road, Suite 102
Fort Myers, FL 33908
239-343-9890
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