Patient's question:
Granddaughter is only seven, but her chest has already grown and developed. She went to the hospital for a thorough examination and was diagnosed with precocious puberty. I want to know what I should do?Doctor's answer:
Precocious PubertyPrecocious puberty refers to the recurrence of secondary sexual characteristics before the age of sexual development, such as breast development, axillary hair growth, rapid weight gain, and the development of external genitalia. The incidence of precocious puberty in boys and girls is approximately 0.6, with females being more affected than males. Breast development before the age of 8 and menstruation before the age of 10 are both signs of precocious puberty.
Precocious puberty can be divided into true precocious puberty and pseudoprecocious puberty. If a child is diagnosed with true precocious puberty, parents should take them to the hospital for follow-up examinations as soon as possible. A thorough health check-up by an experienced specialist and a series of special laboratory tests should be conducted to determine the type of precocious puberty the child is experiencing. Only then can the correct treatment plan be decided based on the underlying cause.