The Physical, Cognitive, and Social/Emotional Effects of Precocious Puberty

Through the ages of 13 - 19 years a child/young adults brains development will increase in line with their co-ordination and reaction times. For girls by the age of 14 puberty will be complete and periods will be starting whereas with boys puberty will be between the ages of 13 – 16 years and they will become physically stronger than girls.

Between twelve and nineteen years old, coordination and strength increase in boys and girls and by nineteen or twenty, they have full adult motor capabilities. Physical developments and changing appearances occur in both genders, though usually earlier in girls than boys. After initial breast budding at around ten, girl’s breasts begin to swell, pubic hair begins to grow and their bodies develop womanly curves. Some girls start to develop at eight and by thirteen are physically mature, but the age and speed of development varies widely. The average age for the start of menstruation is thirteen. Adolescence usually starts at about fourteen in boys – their voices drop and become deeper, they start to grow body hair and they gain muscle, testicular and scrotum growth. Again, there is great variation in

Some ways to detect Progeria are genetic tests of the patient’s blood and clinical exams. Furthermore, the major signs begin developing when the child is around eighteen to twenty-four months old and he will experience accelerated aging even though he was born looking normal. One major symptom is hair loss. Patients are born with hair texture and color, but around six months to two years, the hair begins to fall out. Then, from two to three years, they are usually bald, but might have some thin, light hair. Loss of eyelashes and eyebrows are also experienced. Along with hair loss, these children grow slowly resulting in a shrunken physique and minimal weight gain. For males, their approximate height and weight are 40 inches and 25 pounds; but females are about 32 inches and 20 pounds. In When Good Things Happen to Bad People, doctors have stated these kids will "grow to be very short," and "would never grow much beyond three feet."( Kusher 1-2) Moreover, there are distinctive physical traits in the face and body. "By the second year of life, there is also under development (hypoplasia) of the facial bones and the lower jaw." ("Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria") Also, "the face appears disproportionately small in comparison to the head, and bones of the front and the sides of the skull (cranium) are unusually prominent." ("Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria") Some other characteristics observed in the face are a thin

How you find out your child has Wolf-Hirschhorn is when there is a major delay in growth. Wolf-Hirschhorn cannot be treated but specific systems can be treated. Female babies are more like to have Wolf-Hirschhorn.

Hormones found in food is causing early puberty in adolescents. In recent news article published by NBC News an eight year old girl started developing acne and breast. Her parents didn’t know how to cope with their daughter maturing at such an early age so they decided to take her to the doctor. There the little girl was diagnosed with early puberty and had to be treated with drug implants to slow down her sudden growth. Recent studies have shown that meat industry animals injected with synthetic growth hormones such as Zeranol, Trenbolone, and Melengestrol that leads to negatives effects to the people that consume the foods that the animals produce. Some of these hormones found in animals can throw off the natural chemical balance and affect your hormones. If children are consuming these foods with added hormones their natural balance may be thrown off which causes them to endure early puberty.

Testosterone and Estrogen are the male and female hormones that control how either gender develops. “Between weeks 8 and 14 of fetal development, before the fetus’s sex is determined, tiny fetal ovaries (which may turn into testes depending on the chromosome factor) and adrenal glands release the embryo’s own supply of androgens. These chemicals then cause chain reactions in the body, spurring the growth of the genitals (determined by chromosomes), causing major growth in brain regions and impactful change in

Turner Syndrome may be suspected by your doctor if the female has some of the features. The diagnosis can be confirmed by a test called a karyotype. This involves doing a surgical procedure amniocentesis, which is getting the amniotic fluid from the womb where the sac is surrounding the baby. Estrogen is usually started at age 12-15 years. If in childhood, growth hormone therapy will be required to help prevent the short stature of the child it is a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial show that the combination of growth hormone and ultra low dose of estrogen. These can be cycled in a 3 weeks on, 1 week off regimen after 6-18 months, then progestin can be added in a little

Another treatment is female hormone therapy to cause puberty improvement, but it is based on the time that the patient wants to begin such treatment. This treatment however, does require visits with a gynecologist to examine for any potential risks of "neoplasm such as gonadoblastoma and dysgerminoma"

Two syndromes that embody the intersex condition in which the physical appearance of an individual's genitals does not reflect the individuals gender include CAH and AIS. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia happens when an individual's genetic make up is that of a female. However, during prenatal development, which is the first most important process and healthy and normal individuals; the syndrome causes the adrenal gland to go haywire and overproduce androgens due to a genetic condition. Thus, the prenatal sexual differentiation is one that does not occur in the manner that it normally would for a female. The overproduction of these androgens is directly connected to the fact that the individual who is genetically born a female begins to grow

Detecting GH secreting pituitary adenomas in young children before pituitary gigantism occurs is of utmost importance, as gigantism is irreversible once the extreme growth occurs. Besides just accelerated growth, there are several signs of gigantism. These include excess perspiration, extreme body odor, coarse facial features, and thickened skin, just to name a few. Pituitary gigantism is

• high levels of androgen: a hormone often known as a male hormone, it leases to stopping the ovaries from releasing eggs and it causes extra hair growth and acne

the normal growth pattern can be one of the first manifestations of a disruption of

Some studies show girls with Turner syndrome experienced higher risk of behavior problems than other girls. Growth and height abnormalities various with Turner’s syndrome patients. Treatment is started when the child height declines below the 5th percentile. Most girls will have to take extra estrogen at puberty to compensate for the ovaries not function. Also when girls are diagnosed with Turner syndrome it is necessary to obtain an echocardiogram to rule out any cardiac abnormalities (Shepard, 2004).

There are two specific glands that are needed for puberty, the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. Both glands are located in the brain. The hypothalamus is responsible for many body functions including hunger, thirst and body temperature. The pituitary gland is a tiny organ that is directly attached to the hypothalamus. The glands work in tandem. The hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary gland. When the pituitary gland receives a signal it reacts by making hormones that controls many bodily functions including puberty. Puberty begins when the hypothalamus releases the gonadotropin-releasing hormone. This special hormone signals the pituitary gland to release two additional hormones. These are the luteinizing hormone(LH) and the follicle-stimulating

The primary cause of male gynecomastia is hormonal imbalance. A man?s body requires more testosterones, which is the male hormone. But, when it starts producing more estrogen, the female hormone, it upsets the normal balance. The result is that the female hormone dominates and produces the symptoms of a woman?s body. Thus, the male patient acquires enlarged breasts like those of a woman. Other than hormonal imbalance, obesity is responsible for creating the condition of man boobs. This is not really a disease but the accumulation of excessive fat in the breast area.