Early puberty is the onset of puberty before the age of 8 in girls and before the age of 9 in boys. Especially early puberty is more common in girls and less common in boys.
Early puberty has been increasing in the world and in our country in recent years. No cause is detected in the majority of these children. Food additives, pesticides, chemicals and radiation in cosmetic products and toys-plastics can initiate early puberty. Families should be sensitive in this regard.
Breast growth, underarm and pubic hair, accelerated height growth, acne, oily hair, sweat odor, penis and/or testicle growth, behavioral changes and vaginal discharge are the main findings of early puberty. . Detection of one of these findings in the child at an early age (before the age of 8 in girls and before the age of 9 in boys) is alarming. It is important for the family to recognize this situation and apply to the pediatric endocrine center as soon as possible.
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, remain short in height, and cause some negative conditions in estrogen-sensitive tissues such as the breast.
The tensions that arise during adaptation and adaptation to the differences resulting from growth and sexual development make some individuals in adolescence psychologically sensitive. The risk of psychiatric disorders increases during adolescence. The risk of many psychiatric disorders such as depression, eating disorders and behavioral disorders increases much more in children who enter early adolescence. It has also been found that children who enter early adolescence show higher anxiety and negative body image 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 more likely to have bad habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol.
Another point to keep in mind is that, even if it is not common, the cause of early puberty may be an underlying medical problem. Therefore, it is very important to make the diagnosis as early as possible. If treatment is delayed, serious problems may arise.
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 monthly or 3-monthly injections. It can be applied subcutaneously or intramuscularly from the hip or leg. Generally, no significant problems occur during treatment.
As a result, early puberty is an important situation. The sooner early puberty is intervened, the higher the likelihood of success in treatment.
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