Patient's question:
A 9-year-old and 9-month-old boy is showing developmental characteristics—is this considered early maturation? Is there a relationship between the order of boys' developmental characteristics and height?Doctor's answer:
Generally, it is considered precocious puberty if a girl exhibits signs of sexual development before the age of eight or a boy does so before the age of nine. In terms of age, the child does not appear to be experiencing precocious puberty. It is advisable to closely observe for any clinical symptoms. If necessary, medical evaluation can be conducted through methods such as the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone stimulation test, bone age assessment, and ultrasound examinations to confirm the diagnosis.If a girl develops secondary sexual characteristics before the age of eight or experiences menarche before the age of nine, or if a boy begins sexual development before the age of nine, it can be diagnosed as precocious puberty. If the child has normal or slightly above-average height and has just begun to show developmental features, it is unlikely to affect their height. After the onset of development, height will increase significantly.