Question
My daughter is 11 years and one month old. A year ago, she showed signs of early puberty, and after diagnosis, she was prescribed Dabuyin Wan and Zhipei Dihuang Wan, which had a good effect. However, after stopping the medication for more than a month, we found that her development signs became obvious again. The bone age test showed an advance of one year. Should we continue with the medication treatment? Are there any side effects from long-term use of these drugs? My daughter’s current height is 1.49 meters.
Answer
Hello: How are the developments of other organs? Early puberty is primarily characterized by especially early sexual development. If a girl experiences breast enlargement, the appearance of pubic hair, or menstruation before the age of 8; or if a boy experiences rapid testicle growth and the appearance of pubic hair and whiskers before the age of 10, it should be considered whether there is early puberty. Early puberty can be divided into true and false types. False early puberty is mainly characterized by the early development of sexual characteristics, while true early puberty also involves the premature development of reproductive glands (testes, ovaries) in addition to sexual characteristics. In either case, the common feature is that the sexual organs and secondary sexual characteristics develop prematurely and distinctly. Late puberty is the opposite of early puberty; the development of sexual organs, secondary sexual characteristics, and physical growth are all later than normal. Generally speaking, if sexual organs have not developed or secondary sexual characteristics have not appeared by the age of 15 to 16, or if a girl has not had her first menstrual period by the age of 18, it should be considered whether there is delayed development. Early puberty and late puberty are often caused by endocrine system disorders, such as tumors in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal cortex, testes, or ovaries.