Question
The little girl is currently 9 years old and has been found to have some breast development. Is this a sign of precocious puberty? How should it be treated?
Answer
Whether true or false, precocious puberty presents the characteristic of “rapid growth,” but the epiphyses also close prematurely. Children with idiopathic precocious puberty are affected by internal sex hormones, leading to early and rapid physical growth. The epiphyses close prematurely, shortening the growth period, halting early growth, and ultimately resulting in a final adult height that is shorter than that of peers in normal puberty. The adult height of children with idiopathic precocious puberty may be less than 1.5 meters.