That was the experience of Patrick Burleigh, who has a rare genetic mutation that triggers testosterone production far younger than normal.
Boys begin puberty sometime between the ages of 9 and 14. Boys hit puberty about two years later than girls. However, Black and Hispanic boys tend to enter puberty a bit earlier than white boys. If your son starts showing signs of puberty before age 9, it's worth asking his pediatrician about these early changes.
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.
In a small minority of cases a child will suffer from a rare condition called precocious puberty, which causes their bodies start to start developing when they are as young as two years old.
Boys can start puberty at a wide range of ages, with 95% starting between the ages of 9 and 14, so we consider puberty delayed when it has not started by age 14. The earliest sign of puberty in boys is enlargement of the testicles, followed by growth of the penis and pubic hair.
Most cases of delayed puberty are not an actual health problem. Some kids just develop later than others - what we call a “late bloomer.” This has a medical name: “Constitutional Delay of Growth and Puberty.” In many of these cases, late puberty runs in the family.
Similarly, some girls and boys may have early growth of pubic and/or underarm hair or body odor that isn't related to other changes in sexual development. This is called premature adrenarche (ah-druh-NAR-kee). These kids may need to see their doctor to rule out "true" precocious puberty.
—Public hair developing before age 1 year is rare and to our knowledge, development of pubic hair before age 6 months has not been previously reported. We describe our experience with three infant girls who developed pubic hair within the first year of life.
Puberty is the body's natural process of sexual maturation. Puberty's trigger lies in a small part of the brain called the hypothalamus, a gland that secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH).
In recent years, some reports of CPP have been reported in children with ASD [4-7]. David and Mark [7] reported that the precocious puberty rate was 3.15 times higher in the ASD group than in the control group and that precocious puberty was more likely to occur after three years of age.
Premature pubarche, or the development of pubic hair before the age of 8 in girls or 9 in boys, is most commonly caused by premature adrenarche. Adrenarche is the maturation of the adrenal zona reticularis in both boys and girls, resulting in the development of pubic hair, axillary hair, and adult apocrine body odor.
Changes in Boys
They tend to grow most quickly between ages 12 and 15. The growth spurt of boys is, on average, about 2 years later than that of girls. By age 16, most boys have stopped growing, but their muscles will continue to develop.
Every individual grows at different rates, and puberty begins and ends at different times for everybody. Puberty can last anywhere from 2 to 5 years, so it is not always easy to predict when it will end. A boy's body goes through many changes during puberty.
Delayed puberty in boys is when puberty does not begin by 14 years of age. When puberty is delayed, these changes either don't occur or don't progress normally. Delayed puberty is more common in boys than in girls.
It is normal for production of these hormones to increase (something we call adrenarche) and for pubic hair to appear after age 8 in girls or 9 in boys. The reason why this increase occurs earlier in some children is not known.
But if this is truly pubic hair, your baby may have a condition called premature adrenarche, which can trigger the growth of underarm and pubic hair. The condition is the result of a sex hormone surge, which isn't serious, but should be monitored by a pediatrician.
This process usually begins between the ages of 8 and 13 for girls and 9 to 14 years for boys. Along with puberty, children begin to have a tendency to grow body hair. This article will provide more detailed information about this period of children.
“Most instances of early puberty don't present a health risk to children, but it's worth contacting your pediatrician in case your family doctor feels it's important to run any tests,” Dr. Benjamin said. “It's rare, but there are cases where early puberty can be a sign of something that needs treatment.”
“There is no right or certain age to start shaving,” said Rashell Orey, a licensed master social worker at Banner Health. “Some may be eager to start very early, while for others, this could be a scary thought. It's a conversation that you'll need to discuss with them.”
Premature pubarche, or the development of pubic hair before the age of 8 in girls or 9 in boys, is most commonly caused by premature adrenarche. Adrenarche is the maturation of the adrenal zona reticularis in both boys and girls, resulting in the development of pubic hair, axillary hair, and adult apocrine body odor.
Constitutional delay in growth and puberty (A child is short during most of childhood but will have late onset of puberty and end up in the typical height range as an adult because the child will have more time to grow.)
In most cases, teens who are small probably are just physically maturing a little slower than their friends. Or maybe their parents are short and they take after them. Occasionally, though, there's a medical reason why some people grow more slowly than usual.
Sometimes, poor growth may be a sign of a health problem. Issues that could affect your child's growth rate could include having an underlying chronic disease, or medical conditions such as Turner syndrome, Cushing's syndrome, or a growth hormone deficiency.