What are the likely causes of precocious puberty?
What causes precocious puberty? It may be caused by tumors or growths on the ovaries, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, or brain. Other causes may include central nervous system problems, family history of the disease, or certain rare genetic syndromes. In many cases, no cause can be found for the disorder.
Can you prevent precocious puberty?
Can precocious puberty be prevented? Most cases of early puberty cannot be prevented. Limiting your child’s exposure to reproductive hormones from outside sources may prevent precocious puberty. These sources may include estrogen or testosterone creams, lotions, or other medications.
What is the difference between central precocious puberty and precocious puberty?
Precocious puberty is defined as the onset of puberty before the age of 7 or 8 in girls and age 9 in boys. Central precocious puberty is treated with a medicine that slows production of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) by the pituitary gland.
Can a 7 year old have breast buds?
Breast buds are normal, small disc-shaped rubbery lumps felt under the nipple. Age: they normally occur in 8 to 12 year old girls. They are the first sign of puberty. Sometimes, they are even normal in 7 year olds.
Can a 7 year old get her period?
“It is not uncommon for girls to start their period as young as 8 or 9,” says Dr. Sara Kreckman, UnityPoint Health pediatrician. “This can be both emotionally and mentally challenging for girls this young, as well as their parents.”
What does it mean to have precocious puberty?
Precocious puberty refers to the appearance of physical and hormonal signs of pubertal development at an earlier age than is considered normal.
Is there a cure for central precocious puberty?
Central precocious puberty can be treated by suppressing the pituitary hormones that induce sex steroid production. The opposite condition is delayed puberty. Puberty results from the activation and maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis.
How does CPP slow down the onset of puberty?
Your doctor may offer treatment if it is determined that your child has CPP. In CPP, the goal of treatment is to turn off the pituitary gland’s production of LH and FSH, which will turn off sex steroids. This will slow down the appearance of the signs of puberty and delay the onset of periods in girls.
