What are the causes of precocious puberty in children?

Many parents want to know the cause of precocious puberty in children. Because the incidence of precocious puberty is increasing day by day, many parents worry that their children will experience precocious puberty during their growth stage. If precocious puberty occurs, their children will develop abnormally. They may be taller than their peers before the age of 12, but their height will not grow again after the age of 12, so it will eventually affect their normal height. Most children with precocious puberty will be shorter than their peers.

Precocious puberty refers to the early appearance of secondary sexual characteristics, usually before the age of 9 for boys and before the age of 8 for girls, or when the first menstruation occurs before the age of 10 for girls. If children experience precocious puberty, it will affect their growth and development and may cause them to not grow tall.

The main manifestations of precocious puberty in boys are the appearance of beard, armpit hair, and enlargement of testicles and penis. The main manifestations of precocious puberty in girls are the appearance of breast enlargement, pubic hair, axillary hair and menstruation. Precocious puberty can be divided into two categories: true precocious puberty and false precocious puberty.

True precocious puberty is mainly caused by the early secretion of gonadotropin by the anterior pituitary gland in the skull to activate the gonads (testicles or ovaries). In addition to premature development, it also leads to the early appearance of reproductive ability, which causes precocious puberty. This is called true precocious puberty. It is often caused by the following reasons:

(1) Idiopathic precocious puberty. It is usually caused by non-organic diseases and may be related to dystocia, asphyxia, etc. at birth. It is common in girls, some of which are familial, and most of them appear between the ages of 4 and 8, but some also occur in infancy. First, breasts develop and may be tender. Then the external genitalia develops, vaginal discharge increases, and pubic hair grows. Then menstruation comes and armpit hair appears, and irregular vaginal bleeding begins, but ovulation does not occur. Boys first experience enlargement of the testicles and penis, followed by erection and ejaculation, as well as pubic hair, acne, and voice changes. At the same time, the child's height and weight will increase rapidly, bone growth will accelerate, and the child will appear taller than his peers. However, because his bones mature faster and the epiphyseal ends fuse earlier, he is often shorter than normal people in adulthood.

(2) Organic (or brain-related) precocious puberty. The disease is mainly caused by intracranial tumors or inflammation, which causes increased release of gonadotropin from the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The main symptoms of the children are polydipsia, polyuria, overeating, obesity, etc.

(3) Primary hypothyroidism. Some hypothyroidism can also cause precocious puberty. Girls will experience breast development, and boys will experience enlarged testicles, but their growth will still be slow, their bone age will still be delayed, and they will often be shorter than normal children.

So, for the health of their children, parents should pay attention to their children's daily life and diet. Once a problem is discovered, it should be solved in a timely manner. In particular, parents should not spoil their children too much and let them eat foods that are harmful to their health. For example, fried chicken legs, French fries and other fried foods are absolutely not allowed to be touched.