Often a 13-year-old boy who has not changed his voice or a girl who has not developed breast at the age of 12 years, is considered to experience puberty delays. However, not only that. Recognize other signs, to anticipate puberty coming late or even earlier.
Puberty is a time when children's bodies develop into adulthood, both physically and psychologically. In some children, puberty that comes sooner or later than they should, can be a sign of a serious condition.
Puberty in Children
In girls, puberty begins with the development of breasts, pubic hair growth, and the start of the menstrual cycle. Generally these changes begin when children are 8-13 years old. The overall body shape will also change with the size of the hips widened.
While in boys, puberty begins with an enlarged penis, changes in sound that become heavier, the contours of the muscles of the body will be clearer, the chest is wider, with broad shoulders. This condition generally begins to occur at the age of 9-14 years.
Changes in body shape at puberty, caused by increased production of the hormone estrogen in women and testosterone in men.
Causes of Puberty Come Early or Too Late
Early puberty is usually more common in girls. Generally caused by the following things:
- Disorders of the thyroid gland or ovary.
- Genetic condition.
- Disorders of the brain due to tumors, infections, side effects of radiotherapy, and postoperative effects.
- Other causes that are not known for certain.
Meanwhile, puberty that arrives late in girls can be characterized by the breasts not growing until the age of 13 years, or not menstruating until the age of 15 years. In boys, the testes do not develop into larger until the age of 14 years.
In some children, the cause of late puberty is not known with certainty. There are several factors that might be the cause, including:
- Malnutrition, which can occur in children with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa.
- Genetic disorders and disorders of the chromosomes, such as Turner's syndrome, Kallman's syndrome, and Klinefelter's syndrome.
- Chronic diseases, such as diabetes, kidney disease or cystic fibrosis.
- Disorders of the thyroid gland, testicles, ovaries, or pituitary gland (pituitary).
- Sexual development disorders, such as androgen insensitivity syndrome.
- Delay of growth and development that is hereditary, namely the existence of a pattern of late puberty in the family.
- Lack of fat composition in the body of girls who are too much physical activity or too active in sports.
- Take certain medications, such as cyclophosphamide (a type of chemotherapy drug) or long-term corticosteroid therapy.
If you find this condition, the first step to treat it is to see a doctor. Puberty that comes early or arrives late needs to be addressed according to the cause. If needed, the doctor can give medicines to regulate hormone levels in the body.
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