Ask the Expert

Growth and Nutrition Experts’s Bio Image

Get answers to your child's growth, nutrition, and feeding behavior questions.

Growth and Nutrition Experts’s Bio | Q&A Archive

Note: This is for informational purposes only. Doctors cannot provide a diagnosis or individual treatment advice via e-mail. Please consult your physician about your specific health care concerns.

Precocious puberty - Overview

Alternative Names

Pubertas praecox

Definition of Precocious puberty:

Puberty is the time during which sexual and physical characteristics mature. Precocious puberty is when these body changes happen earlier than normal.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Puberty usually begins between ages 10 and 14 for girls, and ages 12 and 16 for boys. Some African American girls may start puberty earlier, around age 9.

The exact age a child enters puberty depends on a number of factors, including family history, nutrition, and gender.

Often there is no clear cause for precocious puberty, but some cases are due to changes in the brain, genetic problems, or certain tumors that release hormones. These conditions include:

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Disorders of the testicles, ovaries, or adrenal glands
Hypothalamic hamartoma
McCune-Albright syndrome
Tumors that release a hormone called hCG

Endocrine glands

Male and female reproductive systems

Reviewed last on: 8/2/2011
Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Styne DM, Grumbach MM. Puberty: Ontogeny, Neuroendocrinology, Physiology, and Disorders. In: Kronenberg HM, Melmed, S, Polonsky KS, Larsen PR, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008: chap 24.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

Connect with UMMC

© 2011 University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). All rights reserved.
UMMC is a member of the University of Maryland Medical System,
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. TDD: 1-800-735-2258 or 1.866.408.6885

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)