Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Alternative Names
Pubertas praecox
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Puberty usually begins between ages 10 and 14 for girls, and ages 12 and 16 for boys. Some African American girls may start puberty earlier, around age 9.
The exact age a child enters puberty depends on a number of factors, including family history, nutrition, and gender.
Often there is no clear cause for precocious puberty, but some cases are due to changes in the brain, genetic problems, or certain tumors that release hormones. These conditions include:
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia - Disorders of the testicles, ovaries, or adrenal glands
- Hypothalamic hamartoma
McCune-Albright syndrome - Tumors that release a hormone called hCG
Review Date: 08/02/2009
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of
Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also
reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
