Question
How to handle a girl diagnosed with precocious puberty?
Answer
Precocious puberty refers to the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics before the normal age of sexual development, including breast development, the appearance of pubic hair, rapid weight gain, and the development of external genitalia. In cases of precocious puberty, there is an incidence rate of about 0.6%, with females being more common than males. Breast development in girls before the age of 8 or the onset of menstruation before the age of 10 are signs of precocious puberty. Precocious puberty can be categorized into true and false types. If a child is diagnosed with true precocious puberty, parents should take their child to the hospital for a follow-up examination as soon as possible. This requires a comprehensive health check-up and a series of special laboratory tests by experienced specialists to determine which type of precocious puberty the child has, allowing for the formulation of an accurate treatment plan based on the cause.