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Early Puberty in Girls

The fact that your daughter will someday go through puberty is probably a far off concern for you right now. However, some girls experience puberty early, even as early as the age of seven. While it is rare, early puberty can be cause for concern.

Most girls begin to develop between the ages of nine and fourteen. The first sign of development is the formation of breasts. This change is followed shortly by the growth of pubic hair, noticeable body odor and acne. Girls are also known for becoming moody during this time. The entire process can take anywhere from three to five years, and while it has its ups and down, normal puberty is usually fairly easy to handle.

Early puberty, on the other hand, can be a cause for concerns for many reasons. Sometimes early puberty can be dangerous to the health of your child's body, sometimes it can be caused by serious medical conditions and almost always, it is a cause for girls to be embarrassed about the changes in their body.

• Most girls that enter puberty earlier have no serious side effects or conditions related to the change. These girls, studies have shown, may be overweight or on the taller side of the growth chart, which can contribute to earlier puberty.

• Some scientists blame the use of growth hormones in our food supply for kicking girls into early puberty. There are currently no hard and fast results that pinpoint this as a definite cause, but many still believe in the correlation.

• In rare cases, a tumor could cause a girl to begin puberty at an early age. These tumors are usually benign, meaning non-cancerous, and are usually located in the pituitary gland or hypothalamus.

If your daughter does begin to shows sign of puberty around the age of seven or eight, it is best to schedule an appointment to discuss your concerns with her pediatrician. Your doctor will most likely want to complete an exam to decide whether the signs are a true indication of early puberty or not. This exam could include a number of different things.

• An external exam of your child's breasts and genital area.

• A complete medical and family history, that includes the dates and ages of other women in the family when they began puberty.

• Blood and urine tests that can detect the levels of various hormones.

• An x-ray of your child's hand in order to determine whether or not your child's bones are developing to quickly.

• An MRI to detect the presence of a tumor

More than likely, there will be no medical cause for your daughter's signs of early puberty. In those cases, many doctors take a wait and see approach. In the rare instances where some action is necessary, medications can be prescribed that retard your child's growth until a more appropriate age. This medication is usually hormone based and it has to be injected into your child's body either daily or every few weeks. The side effects from these drugs are usually mild and your child will start puberty again once the drugs are stopped.

If your doctor chooses not to stop your daughter's puberty process, there are things that you can do to support her and help her during this period of early change.

• Explain in detail what is happening to her body. Most of the anxiety a girl feels about early puberty is due to confusion over the changes in her body. Explain each change and reassure that all of the changes are normal, they are just happening early for her.

• Monitor your child's attitude. Early puberty can lead to teasing. Talk to your child's teacher and enlist their help in monitoring any unacceptable behaviors from classmates. If your daughter seems to become withdraw or depressed, make an appointment for her to speak to a therapist or the school counselor.

• Purchase a book for your daughter that explains the process of puberty. Many times, young girls are embarrassed to raise questions about their bodies. Do not take it personally if she has a hard time coming to you for answers. Buy a book that may answer her questions, instead.

• Do not be fooled by your child's mature look. Remember that your child is still a young child even if her body may not look that way. Treat her in the way a child her age should be treated.

• Take her shopping for any new needs that she may have. She may need a bra, some acne medication or some deodorant. Get her whatever she needs to make her more comfortable so that she has one less thing to worry about during this process.

• Be patient. Girls are very moody during puberty and girls that are going through it early have even more reasons to be irritable, defensive or anxious. Try to be understanding and support her during this time.


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