Precocious puberty is when sexual and physical maturation occurs earlier than normal. It can begin as early as age 6-7 in girls and before age 9 in boys. This is caused by the early release of hormones from the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Treatment aims to stop further sexual development and rapid growth to allow children to reach their full adult height. Medications that block sex hormones are commonly used, and can help reverse physical changes and return behavior to age-appropriate levels. Precocious puberty affects girls more often than boys and carries health risks if not properly treated.

1. Precocious Puberty
Figure 2 By: Maria , Taylor, Meghan

2. Precocious Puberty!
• The time during
which sexual and
physical
characteristics
mature.
• The body changes
happen earlier than
normal.
Figure 1

3. What age can this happen!?
• Usually puberty begins between ages 10-14
girls and ages 12-16 for boys.
• African americans may start puberty earlier
around 9 years of age
• With this disease puberty could begin as early
as age 6 or 7 in girls
• For boys puberty could begin as early as
before age 9.

4. WHY!?
• The onset of puberty is
normally triggered by the
hypothalamus. It signals
the pituitary gland to
release hormones that
stimulate the ovaries (in
girls) and the testicles (in
boys) to make sex
hormones.
• Precocious puberty can be
5% inherited in boys and
Figure 3
1% inherited in girls.

5. Figure 4
More on why!?
• Sometimes, precocious puberty stems from a
structural problem in the brain (tumor), brain
injury due to heat trauma, and infection (such
as meningitis).
• Also disorders of the testicles, ovaries, or
adrenal glands.
Figure 5 Figure 6

6. How it affects the children.
• With this disease the kids usually do not
achieve their full height, they may be taller
when younger compared to their peers but
when older they are short
• Girls can become more
emotional, moody, and irritable at a younger
age.
• Boys can become more aggressive and
develop a sex drive that is very inappropriate
for their young age.

7. Symptoms for girls!
• Breast development can happen as
early as between 6 months and 3
years.
• Pubic or underarm hair
development at a very young age
• A growth “spurt” before all of their
peers, they may seem taller at a
younger age
• Menstruation begins earlier
• Acne at a young age
• Also mature body odor at a young
age.
Figure 7

8. Symptoms for boys!
• Enlargement of the testicles
at a young age
• Pubic, underarm, or facial
hair development earlier
• Same as the girls they can
have a growth “spurt”
before their peers, acne
and mature body odor as a
young age.
• Voice deepening at a
younger age.
Figure 8

9. Diagnosis!
• It is diagnosed in the blood hormone levels
• A CT Scan of the brain or the abdomen can be
used
• Also an MRI of the brain or the abdomen can
be used to diagnose the problem.

10. Treatments!
• The doctor who diagnoses the child is called a
pediatric endocrinologist who specializes in
growth hormonal disorders in children
• The goal of the treatment is to stop or reverse
sexual development and stop the rapid growth
and bone maturation.

11. DRUG!
• There is a currently approved hormone
treatment is with drugs called LHRH analogs:
synthetic hormones that block the body’s
production of the sex hormones that are
causing the early puberty.

12. After Treatment
• In girls, breast size may decrease or there will
be no further development.
• In boys, the penis and testicles may shrink and
go back to the expected size for their age.
• In both, the growth height comes to a halt and
the behavior goes back to normal according to
their age.

13. INTERESTING FACTS!
• Precocious puberty is 10 times more common
in girls then in boys.
• Pregnancy has been reported in a child with
precious puberty as early as age 5.
• The earlier before age 12 that a girl starts her
menstural cycle the higher risk for breast
cancer.

14. References!