The earliest physical change of puberty for girls is usually breast development, which most often begins around 10 or 11 years. But it's perfectly normal for breast development to start anytime between the ages of 7 and 13.
What You Should Know: Breast buds are normal, small disc-shaped rubbery lumps felt under the nipple. Age: they normally occur in 8 to 12 year old girls. They are the first sign of puberty.
Precocious puberty, or puberty that begins too early, can cause breast buds to appear in very young girls. A breast bud is a lump that develops under the nipple in the first stage of breast growth. The lump may be tender and sore, but it is completely normal in girls undergoing puberty.
The cause of precocious puberty often can't be found. Rarely, certain conditions, such as infections, hormone disorders, tumors, brain abnormalities or injuries, may cause precocious puberty. Treatment for precocious puberty typically includes medication to delay further development.
For most children, early puberty starts for no known reason. It can run in families. Sometimes there is a problem in the brain, such as an injury, a tumor or an infection. Early puberty can also be caused by a problem in the sex glands (testes or ovaries), the thyroid gland or the adrenal glands.
Researchers and physicians hypothesized about possible causes for the increase in early puberty, such as increasing rates of obesity; greater exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in food, plastics, and personal-care products; and stressful or abusive home environments.
But it's perfectly normal for puberty to begin at any point between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 9 and 14 in boys. There's not usually any need to worry if puberty does not start around the average age, but it's a good idea to speak to your GP for advice if it starts before 8 or has not started by around 14.
The earliest physical change of puberty for girls is usually breast development, which most often begins around 10 or 11 years. But it's perfectly normal for breast development to start anytime between the ages of 7 and 13.
Periods. While timelines can vary, most girls get their first period within 2 – 3 years after the development of breast buds. The average age for girls to get their first period in the United States is around age 12. It's important to emphasize that periods are a normal part of growing up.
Breast buds are small disc-shaped rubbery lumps felt under the nipple. They are always normal. Nothing else looks like them. Breast buds have no risk of turning into cancer.
Breast buds are not replaced by anything else, nor do they disappear. They simply continue to grow into the breast shape we all recognise.
Baby girls and boys will have a small breast bud that can be felt for a few weeks after they are born. These buds of tissue will become the breast tissue in the adult. In early infancy, they can be prominent because of the effects of the mother's estrogen. As the estrogen levels decrease, so does the prominence.
Baby girls (and boys) often have breast buds (thelarche). In girls, these grow bigger during the first 6 to 18 months of life, but are usually regressing (growing softer) by 2 years of age.
The breast bud may be a little tender. But don't worry — it's a normal part of puberty. It is also common to have sore breasts around the beginning of a girl's period, or menstruation. During her menstrual cycle, a girl's body produces lots of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone .
Precocious puberty happens before age 8 in girls, and before age 9 in boys. Signs can include breast growth, pubic hair, and voice changes. It may be caused by tumors or growths on the ovaries, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, or brain. In many cases, no cause can be found for the disorder.
There is no specific age for a first bra. Girls can begin developing breasts at any age. Typically this happens from age 8 to 14, but it may happen earlier or later. The best time for her first bra is when she's both physically and emotionally ready.
It can happen on just one side at first, and take the other side about 6 months to catch up (6). Breast buds usually grow about 2–2.5 years before your period starts, but if you notice your breast buds at an earlier age (when you're 8 or 9), it may take closer to three years for your period to start.
Breast tissue may have a dense, bumpy, "cobblestone" feel to the fingers. This feel is usually more in the outer areas, particularly near the armpit. There may also be an off and on or ongoing sense of breast fullness with dull, heavy pain, and tenderness.
“As soon as the breasts start growing breast buds, small (sometimes very tender) bumps below the nipples, is typically when girls start wearing training bras,” said Dr. Kronborg. “Normally, by the time a girl can fill a B cup is when she'll eventually require a standard bra.”
The whole process from the breast bud stage until stage 5 usually takes about 3-4 years. During breast growth, you may experience some tenderness in your breasts. This is normal. Also, the skin may be itchy.
Avoid exposure to hormones.
Keep your children away from medications, creams, and lotions that contain reproductive hormones like estrogen and testosterone. This is the best way to avoid early puberty, as it cannot be prevented in most cases.
If not diagnosed and treated at an early stage, central precocious puberty (CPP) can compromise final adult height, cause incongruity between psychological and physical development, and may also trigger psychological problems arising from early menarche.
Fact: There is no scientific evidence that drinking milk causes early puberty. In the United States, girls are entering puberty at younger ages than they were in the first half of the 20th century. Researchers do not know the exact trigger for early-onset puberty, although it is likely influenced by many factors.
Precocious puberty is rare, meaning it affects about 1% or less of the U.S. population. Many more girls are affected than boys. One study suggests that African American girls have some early breast development or some early pubic hair more often than white girls or Hispanic girls.