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.
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.
Isolated pubic hair of infancy, although considered ab- normal, seems to be a benign entity. Prospective long- term studies are needed to determine if children with a history of pubic hair of infancy develop metabolic de- rangements later on in life.
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.
Incomplete puberty
Children with early pubic hair development (typically between 6 years and 8 years of age) often have adult-like body odor and acne. Changes progress slowly. These early physical changes are not caused by a disorder, and only a few children go on to develop actual precocious puberty.
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.
Adrenarche refers to a maturational increase in the secretion of adrenal androgen precursors (AAPs) in mid-childhood, occurring typically at around 5-8 years of age.
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.
Causes of Early Puberty
These hormones tell the body to make sex hormones- testosterone in males and estrogen in females. 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.
Children with early puberty are more at risk for low self-esteem, depression, and substance abuse. Your son or daughter may require counseling to help address the changes in their body and the effects of any treatments they receive.
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.
The condition is the result of a sex hormone surge, which isn't serious, but should be monitored by a pediatrician. If your pediatrician is concerned, he may refer you to an endocrinologist who might run some blood tests to find out exactly what's going on.
Some toddlers have fine, downy hair on the arms, legs, back, or even face. The reason for it is most likely genetics — if you or your child's other parent had a lot of body hair as a toddler (or someone in either of your families did), your toddler simply "inherited" the body hair.
Dorn et al. (1999a, 2008) found that girls and boys with premature adrenarche (a clinical term characterizing high levels of DHEA and Tanner stage 2 pubic hair in 6–8 year olds) demonstrate increased levels of depression, anxiety and behavioral problems compared with their normatively developing peers.
Adrenarche begins on average between age 5 to 8 in girls and between 7 and 11 in boys, and precedes puberty by about 2 years. Unlike the physical changes that occur during puberty, adrenarche is primarily an emotional and psychological stage of development.
How is premature adrenarche treated? Premature adrenarche doesn't require treatment. However, it will cause your child's body to change sooner than those of her peers, and this may make her feel self-conscious.
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.
What causes precocious puberty? It may be caused by tumors or growths on the ovaries, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, or brain. Other causes may include central nervous system problems, family history of the disease, or certain rare genetic syndromes. In many cases, no cause can be found for the disorder.
Today's adolescent girls drink less milk than their mothers did, not more. Thus, it is unlikely that milk is responsible for any significant change in the age at which girls begin puberty.
At around 12 years old, on average, females will begin to see hair growth under the arms. Pubic hair will start growing along the labia and will gradually become thicker, curlier, and cover a larger area of the vulva. In the final stages of puberty, pubic hair may grow around the top of the thighs.
Symptoms of Premature Adrenarche
The most common premature adrenarche symptoms include: The presence of pubic or underarm hair in boys younger than nine years old or girls younger than eight years old. Strong underarm smells that require deodorants. Lack of breast development in girls or genital growth in boys.
No. Some children can have different patterns. Some girls develop breasts at a very young age but have no other signs of sexual development. A few children have pubic and armpit hair long before other signs of sexual growth.
Most of the time, puberty occurs after age 8 in girls and after age 9 in boys. However, Black, Hispanic, and Native American children might naturally reach puberty earlier. Precocious puberty is when puberty begins too early for the child who's going through it.
Premature adrenarche may be more outwardly obvious than other early cues to puberty, but it doesn't necessarily signal the start of sexual maturity. Adrenarche occurs when the adrenal androgens—sex hormones—that trigger pubic and axillary hair growth, body odor, and acne are produced.