When puberty begins before age 8 in girls and before age 9 in boys, it is considered precocious puberty. Puberty includes rapid growth of bones and muscles, changes in body shape and size, and development of the body’s ability to reproduce.
Is early puberty healthy?
Among adolescent girls, early puberty is associated with more depressive disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders and disruptive behavior disorders. Of those disorders, “the clearest and most consistent link is between early puberty and depression in girls,” Graber says.
What happens if you have early puberty?
For kids, early puberty can cause physical and emotional problems. They include: Short stature. While kids with precocious puberty are often tall for their age, some wind up short as adults.
Is 10 years old too early for puberty?
According to the National Institutes of Health, puberty usually begins in girls between 8 and 13 years of age, and in boys between 9 and 14 years of age. Puberty is considered to be early in boys before age 8 and girls before 9 years old. This is sometimes called “precocious puberty.”
What is considered early puberty? – Related Questions
What causes early puberty?
For most children, early puberty starts for no known reason. It can run in families. Sometimes there is a problem in the brain, such as an injury, a tumor or an infection. Early puberty can also be caused by a problem in the sex glands (testes or ovaries), the thyroid gland or the adrenal glands.
What foods cause early puberty?
High protein intake elevates IGF-1 levels and promotes growth, which could accelerate the onset of puberty. Poor diet. Children with lower-nutrient diets tend to enter puberty earlier. A diet rich in processed foods and meats, dairy, and fast food is disruptive to normal physical development.
Is it normal for a 10 year old to have pubic hair?
Hormonal basis
It is normal for production of these hormones to increase (something we call adrenarche) and for pubic hair to appear after age 8 in girls or 9 in boys. The reason why this increase occurs earlier in some children is not known.
Is it better to go through puberty early or late?
On average, boys reach puberty later than girls, and researchers have found that the differences in the onset of puberty could explain around half of the gender differences in grades. “Pupils who reach puberty earlier perform better. This applies to both boys and girls.
Can you slow down early puberty?
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 are the 5 stages of puberty?
Tanner stages summary
| Tanner stages in males |
Age at the start |
Noticeable changes |
| Stage 2 |
Around age 11 |
Pubic hair starts to form |
| Stage 3 |
Around age 13 |
Voice begins to change or “crack”; muscles get larger |
| Stage 4 |
Around age 14 |
Acne may appear; armpit hair forms |
| Stage 5 |
Around age 15 |
Facial hair comes in |
1 more row
At what age do boys start liking girls?
Some kids may start expressing interest in having a boyfriend or girlfriend as early as age 10 while others are 12 or 13 before they show any interest. The key is for parents to remember that the tween years are a time of transition.
At what age puberty ends?
Puberty is a process that takes place for several years. Most girls finish puberty by age 14. Most boys finish puberty by age 15 or 16.
How do I know puberty is over?
Stage 5 is the final phase. Development typically ends in this stage. Girls reach physical adulthood. Pubic hair may extend out to their thighs, and some girls may have a line of hair up to their belly button. Most girls attain their peak height by age 16, but some may continue growing through age 20.
Do you grow taller if you hit puberty later?
During puberty, boys and girls will have a growth spurt and grow to their adult height. So that means girls who start puberty the latest will still be getting taller in their mid-teens. For boys, the latest to reach puberty will still be getting taller into their late teens.
When do boys grow the most?
Boys tend to show the first physical changes of puberty between the ages of 10 and 16. They tend to grow most quickly between ages 12 and 15. The growth spurt of boys is, on average, about 2 years later than that of girls. By age 16, most boys have stopped growing, but their muscles will continue to develop.
Why does my 4 year old have pubic hair?
During adrenarche, the adrenal glands, which sit on the kidneys, begin to churn out weak “male” hormones. That, in turn, can cause kids to develop some pubic hair, underarm hair and body odor. Those adrenal-related changes can happen in the absence of “true” puberty, Kohn explained.
How long after pubic hair do periods start?
On age alone: Age 15 1/2 to 16 1/2 for whites, age 14 1/2 to 15 1/2 for blacks. If no breast or hair development: Age 13 to 14 for whites, age 12 to 13 for blacks. If there is breast development or hair (pubic or armpit)two years after either of these started.
Does pubic hair mean start of puberty?
Pubic hair will start growing along the labia and will gradually become thicker, curlier, and cover a larger area of the vulva. In the final stages of puberty, pubic hair may grow around the top of the thighs. Females will usually begin their period roughly 2 years after their breasts have started to grow.
What are the first signs of puberty in a girl?
When your daughter starts to go through puberty, her gonads (ovaries) and adrenal glands (glands that sit on top of the kidneys) release hormones. These hormones cause the first signs of puberty, which are breast development, body odor, underarm hair, pubic hair and acne (pimples).
Does milk cause early puberty?
Fact: There is no scientific evidence that drinking milk causes early puberty. In the United States, girls are entering puberty at younger ages than they were in the first half of the 20th century.
Is 9 years old too early for period?
Menstruation typically begins at about age 12, but periods are possible as early as age 8. That’s why it’s important to discuss this topic early.
