What is precocious puberty?
Fu junfen: if a girl develops a secondary sexual sign before the age of 8 or a boy before the age of 9, it is called precocious puberty.
Specifically, before the age of 9, boys have long beard, laryngeal knot, testicles, penis enlargement, pubic hair and other features. Before the age of 8, girls have armpit hair, breast development (with lumps or swelling pain), vaginal bleeding, menstruation and other features.
2. In China, what is the current incidence of precocious puberty?
Fu junfen: precocious puberty is a common endocrine disease in pediatrics. At present, the incidence is increasing year by year. The prevalence rate of precocious puberty in China is about 0.43%, which is higher in the northern region (0.736%), and 1% in Shanghai and other economically developed cities.
At present, the treatment rate of this disease in China is only 1 / 3, which seriously affects the health of children.
3. Why is precocious puberty increasing?
Gong Chunxiu: it may be related to the following reasons:
1. The long-term accelerated trend of children's growth and development;
2. Environmental pollution: detergents, organic pesticides, plastic products, additives, related drugs, etc;
3. Changes in living and eating habits: taking health care products, tonics, ripening agents for agricultural products and taking contraceptives by mistake;
4. The influence of film and television works, family environment and social psychological factors.
What are the causes of precocious puberty?
Fu junfen: the occurrence of precocious puberty is related to a variety of factors. Some children's precocious puberty can be found with clear organic causes, but for idiopathic central precocious puberty, the cause is still unclear. The research found that precocious puberty may be related to the following factors:
Obesity: current evidence suggests that obesity is one of the risk factors for precocious puberty. Precocious puberty may be the result of weight gain. On the other hand, due to the increase of estrogen level, children with precocious puberty eat too much in the early stage, further resulting in weight gain.
Diet: high energy diet can increase the adipose tissue and leptin secretion of adipocytes in the body. It can induce precocious puberty at the same time. Overweight or obese children are prone to precocious puberty.
In addition, environmental pollution, family relationship, geographical and genetic factors may be related to it.
5. Are the characteristics of precocious puberty the same?
Fu junfen: precocious puberty can be divided into central precocious puberty and peripheral precocious puberty according to whether the gonadal axis is activated in advance. In addition, there is an incomplete sexual precocity.
Central precocious puberty: the most common, about 70-80%. It is because the early start of gonadal axis makes the brain increase the secretion of gonadotropin releasing hormone in advance, which leads to the development of gonad and the secretion of sex hormones, the development of reproductive period, and the emergence of secondary sexual signs. Central precocious puberty is equivalent to the band's conductor is too anxious, we are not ready to swing the baton.
Peripheral precocious puberty: it is the secondary sexual development caused by diseases in other parts of the gonadal axis that are not started in advance.
Incomplete precocious puberty: some children who only have breast development or pubic hair growth but no other sexual characteristics cannot be called central precocious puberty, but they need regular inspection and follow-up to prevent the development of central precocious puberty.
What are the dangers of precocious puberty?
Fu junfen: it can be divided into physiological and psychological effects.
Physiological effects: children with precocious puberty may have the rapid growth of height and weight and the acceleration of bone maturity, and the early fusion of epiphysis, which affects the height of adults;
Psychological impact: early sexual development is easy to cause a series of social psychological behavior problems, such as depression, aggressive and good complaints, lack of self-confidence, etc.
How to diagnose my child's precocious puberty?
Fu junfen: the diagnosis of central precocious puberty should meet the following criteria:
The second sex sign was advanced: breast nodule appeared in 8-year-old girls and testicular volume increased in 9-year-old boys;
Linear growth acceleration: the annual growth rate is higher than that of normal children (6cm / year in normal)
Bone age advance: the bone age is 1 year or more older than the actual age;
Gonadal enlargement: pelvic ultrasonography showed that the volume of uterus and ovary increased in girls, and there were multiple follicles with diameter of & gt; 4mm in ovaries; testicular volume in boys & Ge; 4ml;
The function of hypothalamus pituitary gonadal axis was activated, and the levels of serum gonadotropins and sex hormones were at puberty.
Of course, the diagnosis of precocious puberty must be carried out by professional doctors. Parents must not diagnose themselves to avoid unnecessary panic.
8. How much does precocious puberty affect height?
Gong Chunxiu: not all precocious puberty will affect height.
Only 30% of the patients may affect adult height. This part of patients is due to the premature start of hypothalamus pituitary gonad axis, the acceleration of bone development, the premature closure of epiphysis and the shortening of growth period, thus affecting height.
Conclusion:
Experts call on parents, schools, society and the government to pay attention to children's precocious puberty, and take active and effective prevention and control measures, but parents should not be too nervous, so as to avoid increasing the psychological burden on children.