Precocious puberty

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Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Signs and symptoms of precocious puberty include development of the following before age 8 in girls and before age 9 in boys.

Precocious puberty symptoms in girls include:

  • Breast growth
  • First period (menstruation)

Precocious puberty symptoms in boys include:

  • Enlarged testicles and penis
  • Facial hair (usually grows first on the upper lip)
  • Deepening voice

Precocious puberty symptoms that can occur in boys or girls include:

  • Pubic or underarm hair
  • Rapid growth
  • Acne
  • Adult body odor

When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your child's doctor for an evaluation if your child has any of the signs or symptoms of precocious puberty.

Causes Definition
References
  1. Styne D. Precocious puberty (sexual precocity). In: Gardner DG, et al. Greenspan's Basic & Clinical Endocrinology. 8th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2630860. Accessed Nov. 6, 2010.
  2. Saenger P. Overview of precocious puberty. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 8, 2010.
  3. Precocious puberty. The Hormone Foundation. http://www.hormone.org/Resources/Growth/upload/bilingual_precocious_puberty.pdf . Accessed Nov. 6, 2010.
  4. Precocious puberty. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec19/ch282/ch282h.html. Accessed Nov. 7, 2010.
  5. Carel JC, et al. Precocious puberty. New England Journal of Medicine. 2008;358:2366.
  6. Eugster EA. Peripheral precocious puberty: Causes and current management. Hormone Research 2009;71(suppl):64.
  7. Kaplowicz PB. Treatment of central precocious puberty. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Obesity. 2009;16:31.
DS00883 Feb. 3, 2011

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