There's been a lot in the news lately about girls hitting puberty earlier than previous generations. Typically, girls enter puberty between the ages of 10 and 14. Precocious puberty or early puberty occurs when a girl enters puberty before age 8. Can you even imagine beginning puberty at such a young age?
There's a lot involved, apparently, including family history, nutrition, and even medical disorders. But when early puberty happens, parents and children have a lot to contend with. Can girls that young even understand how to properly use pads or tampons? The fear of being different from their peers is another fear girls and their families have to face. And what about the long-term consequences of all of this? How will early puberty impact future fertility, cancers and other considerations?
There will be more studies, more data and research on this to come, but until then, parents should prepare their daughters, and provide a support network that includes their pediatrician should early puberty occur.
More on Early Puberty
What about boys and early puberty?
My daughter who is 7 has precocious puberty and ADHD combined type, mostly inattentive!!! It is so difficult for her to focus, and with the puberty symptoms…UGH… She has an implant in her arm to control the puberty symptoms. She will have this replaced every 12-15 months. This has helped tremendously. Its sad, my daughter would never be able to handle full blown puberty at this time. We have no “reason” why she is in early puberty, but all we can do is treat the symtoms and support her as we can.