Puberty begins between the ages of 8-13 in girls and between the ages of 9-14 in boys. The first sign of puberty is breast growth in girls and testicular growth in boys. Puberty may rarely begin with pubic hair growth.
Early puberty is the onset of puberty before the age of 8 in girls and 9 in boys. Although early puberty is more common in girls, it is also seen in boys.
Early puberty has been increasing in the world and in our country in recent years. When the conditions that cause early puberty are examined, it is revealed that in the majority of children (75-90%), no serious cause is detected and they are "idiopathic", that is, "the cause is unknown". However, early puberty may also occur due to an underlying disease. So the first sign of another disease may be early puberty. Therefore, it is important to detect the disease early and not to delay treatment. Otherwise, serious health problems may arise. On the other hand, increasing obesity in childhood also increases the likelihood of early puberty. Because increased estrogen in obese children accelerates puberty development. Therefore, preventing obesity in the childhood age group will also be beneficial for early puberty.
Food additives, pesticides, chemicals in cosmetic products and toys can initiate early puberty. Additionally, the use of products claimed to be natural, such as soy, lavender oil, fennel tea and bee pollen, may also lead to early puberty. Therefore, products on the market that claim to be natural plant extracts may pose a risk to children's health. On the other hand, food additives used in the production of junk foods that are attractive to children may also pose a risk of early puberty. Because all these products may contain harmful hormones called endocrine disruptors. When these harmful products are used in childhood, which is the most sensitive period of human life, many negative effects may occur in later ages.
Breast growth, armpit and pubic hair, accelerated height growth, acne, oily hair, sweat odor, penis and/or testicular enlargement, behavioral changes and vaginal discharge are the main findings of early puberty. b in children Detection of one of these findings at an early age (before the age of 8 in girls and before the age of 9 in boys) should be a warning for the family. Additionally, children with early puberty may have headaches, vomiting, seizures, drinking too much water, urinating too much, and vision problems. It is also very important when these complaints appear and how quickly they progress. Because the first indicator of a serious underlying disease may be early puberty. Therefore, making the diagnosis as early as possible is of vital importance. Otherwise, if the diagnosis is delayed, it may be life-threatening.
Children with signs of puberty should be examined carefully. Both the child's development, the stage of adolescence, and signs of underlying diseases should be evaluated. Thus, both current and future status (height, size, etc.) should be taken into account. After this, bone age is measured to evaluate bone maturation. Bone age gives clues about the child's development, puberty status, height in later life, etc. In addition, the diagnosis is confirmed with blood hormonal tests and radiological imaging.
It is very important for children with early puberty to be diagnosed and treated on time. Otherwise, it may cause the child to menstruate early (before the age of 10), remain short in height, and cause some negative conditions in estrogen-sensitive tissues such as the breast. In this case, it creates a heavy burden for girls who have menstrual bleeding at a young age, both for their tiny bodies and for their psychological emotions.
The risk of many psychiatric disorders such as depression, eating disorders, and behavioral disorders increases much more in children who enter early adolescence. In addition, it has been determined that children who enter early adolescence show high anxiety and negative body perception compared to their peers.
These children appear to experience more psychological difficulties with both their families and their peers. Symptoms such as self-dislike, decreased self-confidence due to appearance, fear and anxiety that they will not be loved by their peers due to their differences, problems in friendship with the opposite sex, engaging in risky sexual acts and anxiety about sexuality are common. They are also likely to have bad habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol. is higher.
Another important point is that puberty can progress rapidly, even if it begins after the age of 8 in girls and 9 in boys. Problems such as short stature and early menstruation seen in early adolescence may also occur when puberty progresses rapidly. Children with rapidly progressing puberty are frequently seen in the outpatient clinic routine. Because it progresses rapidly, it is very important to diagnose these children quickly and start treatment as soon as possible. Otherwise, puberty will be completed in a short time and there will be nothing left to do. For this reason, children in adolescence must be checked for puberty and height development.
It is very important for children with early puberty to be diagnosed and treated on time. Otherwise, they may face many problems. In addition, diagnosing children with early puberty and starting treatment as soon as possible increases the success rate. For the treatment of early puberty, drugs that suppress the secretion of puberty hormones are used. This treatment is administered as 28-day or 3-monthly injections. It can be applied subcutaneously or intramuscularly from the hip or leg. Generally, no significant problems occur during treatment. The most common side effects of the drugs used are pain, swelling and redness at the injection site. These side effects may occur in 1 in 10 patients. It is not possible for these drugs to cause infertility in the long term.
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