Adolescence is an important period of physical growth, when the secretion of hormones increases and changes in body parts appear sequentially.
When puberty comes early, it is called precocious puberty.
Is my child also precocious puberty?
There is no clear cause of precocious puberty, and it can occur for a variety of reasons. In recent years, westernized eating habits, childhood obesity, and environmental hormones have been considered as causes.
As there is no clear cause, it is most important to check for external changes for quick treatment.
Typical changes include girls developing breasts or pubic hair under the age of 8, and boys developing pubic hair, a larger penis, or testicles under the age of 9. If a child’s height increases by more than 6cm in a year, it can also be a sign of precocious puberty.
If your child shows any of the symptoms listed above, it is best to visit a doctor immediately for a proper examination. The tests include a physical examination and a hormone test, which assesses bone maturity with a bone age test and measures sex hormone levels with a blood test.
“General hospital in Incheon, Nasaret International Hospital”
Parents’ attention need for boys with increased rates of precocious puberty
According to data from the National Health Insurance Service, the number of children with precocious puberty increased 2.6 times over the past 10 years, from 96,733 in 2014 to 251,599 in 2023. In particular, the proportion of boys has increased significantly, from 8.1% in 2014 to 19.3% in 2023.
Girls are mostly diagnosed with precocious puberty without any specific cause, but boys are diagnosed with precocious puberty due to brain tumors, hydrocephalus, low thyroid hormone levels, and adrenal diseases, accounting for 50% of cases, which requires more attention.
Early treatment is essential!
It is essential to treat precocious puberty early. As puberty comes early, it also affects bone age, which can lead to shorter stature compared to children who start puberty normally, and can also cause psychological problems due to the sense of alienation from their peers.
Treatment for precocious puberty is done through injection therapy, which is administered at intervals of 1 to 3 months depending on the injection drug, and in general, it takes about 2 to 5 years of treatment. The child’s sexual maturity and growth will be checked periodically.
Through treatment, the rate of height growth is reduced and the breasts of girls become smaller. In boys, the testicles shrink in size to keep up with the pubertal development of their peers and minimise the loss of height growth. To achieve this, it is most important to receive treatment early through constant attention and observation by parents.
