Irregular periods in the first three years are completely normal. But if your child's periods are more than six months apart, you might like to talk with a GP. A GP can make sure there are no other health problems interfering with your child's cycle.
See a GP if your periods have not started by age 15 (or 13 if you do not have any other signs of puberty). Your GP may suggest a blood test to check your hormone levels.
If you need to change your tampon or pad after less than 2 hours or you pass clots the size of a quarter or larger, that is heavy bleeding. If you have this type of bleeding, you should see a doctor. Untreated heavy or prolonged bleeding can stop you from living your life to the fullest. It also can cause anemia.
Menarche is considered early if it occurs at or before ten years of age and late if it occurs at or later than 15 years of age. [4] Menarche is also considered delayed if there is more than a three-year lapse between the onset of thelarche and the first menses.
You can get your period as early as 9 or as late as 15. Many factors influence when menarche begins, but it's common to get your period at around the same time your mother or birthing parent did.
“It is not uncommon for girls to start their period as young as 8 or 9,” says Dr. Sara Kreckman, UnityPoint Health pediatrician. “This can be both emotionally and mentally challenging for girls this young, as well as their parents.”
Most commonly, especially in girls, precocious puberty is due to the brain sending signals earlier than it should. There is no other underlying medical problem or trigger. This also can often run in families. Less often, precocious puberty stems from a more serious problem, such as a tumor or trauma.
When do periods start? Most young people will have their first periods when they're between 11 and 14½, but anywhere from 9-16 years is considered normal.
What does an early period mean? Getting your period early usually means your hormones are a slightly off-balance. Fluctuations in your hormones from month to month are common and are typically nothing to worry about, especially if you've only just started menstruating.
Patients should be seen if their periods last more than 7 days, their bleeding is excessive indicated either by the frequency of pad/tampon or menstrual cup changes or size of clots. They should also visit the doctor if their periods are irregular for more than 3 months.
If a girl starts menstruation at a young age, it's usually because the hormones in her body responsible for puberty are being produced earlier.
Growing pubic hair
Her first period usually arrives around one to two years after pubic hair starts growing.
Amenorrhea has many causes, including hormone problems, eating habits and exercise, or a birth defect. Your teen may need blood tests and a pelvic ultrasound. Treatment may be done with hormones or other medicines, changes in diet or exercise, and calcium supplements.
When you first start having your period, it may last only a few days. Your first few periods may be very light. You may only see a few spots of reddish brown blood. Anywhere from 2 to 7 days is normal.
Women in the study who got their first period at age 11 or younger were 80 percent more likely to have premature menopause, which is the relative risk compared to women who got their first periods later. And they had a 30 percent increased risk of early menopause, defined as by age 44.
High protein intake elevates IGF-1 levels and promotes growth, which could accelerate the onset of puberty. Poor diet. Children with lower-nutrient diets tend to enter puberty earlier. A diet rich in processed foods and meats, dairy, and fast food is disruptive to normal physical 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.
Untreated precocious puberty usually leads to short stature and can also cause significant emotional and behavioral issues.
Girls usually stop growing taller about 2 years after starting their menstrual period. Your genes (the code of information you inherited from your parents) will decide many things during this time, including: your height, your weight, the size of your breasts and even how much hair you have on your body.
Early periods often result from hormonal changes, especially during puberty and perimenopause. Many underlying medical conditions, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis, can also cause menstrual irregularities.
Your first period should last anywhere from 2 to 7 days. It may be very light, with just a few spots of brownish blood. Or it may start and end more brownish, but be brighter red on heavier flow days.