Question
My daughter is 8 years old and I’ve noticed her breasts are slightly protruding, with a small hard lump on the right nipple. The hospital said it’s false development and they’re not sure if it’s normal. I want to understand what false development means?
Answer
Breast development in girls before the age of 8 is considered an abnormal condition and requires further examination. False development refers to breast development caused by precocious puberty, which necessitates endocrinology ultrasound, sexual hormone tests, and bone age X-ray checks to determine if intervention is needed. Typically, true precocious puberty occurs before the age of 8, while false development is an abnormal condition caused by non-sexual precocious puberty.