What to do if children have precocious puberty

Precocious puberty in children has become a major problem that troubles parents. Many parents find it incomprehensible that precocious puberty occurs at an age when children should be innocent. In recent years, precocious puberty in children has become more and more common. In order to prevent their children from experiencing precocious puberty, many parents will choose some methods to help their children avoid this situation as much as possible, but most parents are still at a loss when faced with this problem. So what should we do about precocious puberty in children?

There are two types of precocious puberty: true and false. True precocious puberty is caused by the premature development and action of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis. It is central precocious puberty and complete precocious puberty. Pseudo-precocious puberty is incomplete precocious puberty, which is caused by the stimulation of sexual characteristics by sex hormones. Although secondary sexual characteristics appear prematurely, the affected children do not have reproductive capacity.

Traditional Chinese medicine diagnoses and treats precocious puberty mainly by distinguishing whether it is due to deficiency or excess. The weak ones have insufficient kidney water, and the first symptom is the early appearance of secondary sexual characteristics, such as breast development, increased vaginal discharge, and menstruation in girls; and enlarged penis and testicles, erection and even ejaculation in boys, as well as facial acne and a deepening of the voice. Pubic and underarm hair can appear in both boys and girls. Accompanied by hot flashes, night sweats, fever in the five hearts, red tongue with little coating, and thready and rapid pulse. The treatment should be to nourish yin and reduce fire, and the prescription can be modified from Zhibai Dihuang Wan. Commonly used medicines: Anemarrhena asphodeloides, Phellodendron chinense, Gentiana scabra, Alisma orientalis, Paeonia suffruticosa, Dioscorea opposita, Scrophularia ningpoensis, Tortoise shell, Poria cocos, etc. The gentian in the prescription should be used in a small dose first and then gradually increased to avoid excessive suppression of stomach qi. For those with increased vaginal secretions, add Chinese toon root bark and Euryale ferox; for those with vaginal bleeding, add Eclipta prostrata and Agrimoniae; for those with heat in the five hearts, add bamboo leaves and lotus seed core; for those with hot flashes and night sweats, add Rehmannia root bark and Schisandra chinensis. The excess condition is liver depression transforming into fire, and the symptoms include premature appearance of secondary sexual characteristics, accompanied by irritability, chest tightness and sighing, red tongue with yellow coating, and a stringy and fine pulse. This syndrome is caused by stagnation of the Liver Channel, which turns into fire over time, leading to early menstruation and the early appearance of secondary sexual characteristics. The treatment should be to soothe the liver and relieve depression, clear the heart and reduce fire. The prescription can be Danwei Xiaoyao Powder with modifications. Commonly used medicines: Cortex Moutan, Gardenia, Angelica, White Peony Root, Bupleurum, Gentiana, Prunella Vulgaris, Fructus Aurantii Immaturus, Mint, etc. For those with breast pain, add Cyperus rotundus, Curcuma aromatica, etc.

In addition to syndrome differentiation and treatment, the focus of this disease is prevention. Young children and pregnant women should use supplements with caution and are prohibited from taking supplements containing sex hormones to prevent the occurrence of pseudo-precocious puberty. After falling ill, seek medical attention promptly and receive active treatment to avoid sequelae such as short stature.

The occurrence of precocious puberty in children is closely related to the environment in which they live. Therefore, parents are advised to pay more attention to their children's behavioral changes, help them to channel their inner thoughts in a timely manner, and try to avoid precocious puberty in their children. If a child accidentally develops precocious puberty, be sure to ask a professional doctor to help solve the problem.