When the sexual characters begin to appear before the usual period it is known as precocious puberty. Bodily changes happen sometime before actual puberty happens. Puberty age differs from one child to another with respect to culture, history, gender and nutrition given to the child. There is no specific cause for getting precocious puberty. Changes in brain such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia can cause puberty earlier. Some disorders in ovaries and testicles may trigger precocious puberty. In rare cases, tumors are known to cause this type of puberty.
The symptoms are developed breasts, hair in the armpits and genital areas, fast rate of growth and fully grown genitals. For some children, there may be voice change due to hormone secretion and growth of hair on face and above the upper lip. Generally no treatment is required for precocious puberty. If the parents feel that the children has attained much early consult your doctor who would suggest medicines for stopping the growth of sexual hormones. Support from parents and friends are enough to set right the problem.
What Is Precocious Puberty ?
Puberty is that time of life at which a girl or boy becomes mature sexually. A child’s body would begin to change into an adult forming breast in girls and moustache in boys. Precocious puberty is a rare condition in which the child’s body gets into adulthood too soon. Normally girls become physically mature between 11 and 14 years and boys it ranges from 12-16 years. But if a girl or boy attains puberty at young age of 8 or 9 years it is known as precocious puberty.
The child’s body will soon undergo rapid changes like growth of muscles and bones, changes in size and shape of the body etc. Hormone disorders or any abnormal brain injury can cause precocious puberty. Apart from physical growth it causes tremendous emotional growth in children and they still remain as a child mentally in contrast to physical growth. This condition can be treated with medication and parental support. Central precocious puberty is more common in girls than boys and is high in specific race like Hispanic or African American.