Precocious puberty

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Endocrine glands

Male and female reproductive systems

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Precocious puberty

Alternative Names:

Pubertas praecox

Treatment:

Medications can temporarily surpress sexual hormone secretion. Some tumors require surgical removal.

Complications:

Children (of both sexes) with early sexual development are more likely to have psycho-social problems. Children and adolescents generally want to be the same as their peers, and early sexual development can make them appear "different". This can result in self-esteem problems, depression, acting out at school and home, and alcohol and illegal substance abuse.

Calling your health care provider:

See your health care provider if:

Your child shows signs of precocious puberty
Any child with early sexual development appears to be having social problems in school

Review Date: 10/27/2005
Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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