Should precocious puberty be delayed in children?

The article is professionally consulted by Dr., Doctor Bui Phuong Thao - Pediatric Center, Vinmec Times City International Hospital. Dr. Thao has more than 20 years of experience working in the field of Pediatrics, currently working at the National Children's Hospital. Her strength is in the diagnosis, treatment and care of infants and young children, examination and treatment of endocrinology.

Precocious puberty in children is increasing in countries including Vietnam. Precocious puberty can be caused by many causes and adversely affects the development of children. So what causes early puberty in children and should it be delayed in children?

Normally girls enter puberty on average from 8-13 years old and in boys it is 9-14 years old.
Precocious puberty is when a child shows signs of sexual development before the age of 8 for girls and before the age of 9 for boys.

Currently, many children as young as 5, 6 years old have started to show signs of precocious puberty which may simply be due to premature pubertal development. However, it can also be due to some of the following physical causes:
Central precocious puberty due to premature activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis
For girls, the cause is often unknown For boys Up to 70% are due to tumors, nerve damage In addition, there are causes in the brain such as tumors in the brain or spinal cord, meningitis or encephalitis, radiation exposure to the brain and spinal cord, hypothyroidism. .... Peripheral precocious puberty is often caused by:
Ovarian tumors Testicular tumors Adrenal gland diseases such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia Genetic diseases Increased exposure to sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone through food or topical creams. Related factors
Obese girls often have an increased risk of early puberty High fat diet.

For boys Genital development Underarm and pubic hair begins to appear Acne Body odor Breaking voice Growth in height and weight. For girls Breast growth Growth of pubic and armpit hair Changes in shape of external genitalia Menstruation signs. Increase height and weight.

Early puberty in children leads to the following consequences:
Affecting children's psychology, their development earlier than their peers can cause psychological shyness, easily making children self-deprecating, lacking Confident Limited Height: Puberty may be taller than your peers, however, early puberty causes joints to close earlier than normal, shortening growth time thus making influence the height of children into adulthood. There is a tendency to have sex before adulthood, causing consequences for girls, such as unintended pregnancy due to insufficient knowledge. Polycystic ovary syndrome affects fertility.

Precocious puberty causes many consequences affecting the health and psychology of children. Delaying puberty early for children will give the opportunity for the bones to grow at their own pace for a longer period, the joints are not "locked" too early, giving the child a better chance to reach the ideal height as an adult. . It also helps the child's mind, emotions, and social skills keep pace with physical development. In fact, if puberty occurs at the right time, then the new organ systems are ready to work together in harmony, leading to the best development for the body.
How to delay precocious puberty for children depends on the cause of precocious puberty in children:
If the cause of precocious puberty is tumors, they need to be surgically removed.
If the cause is not found, the child can be given medication to reduce the level of sex hormones but must be prescribed by the doctor.
Some measures to support delaying puberty early can be applied to girls such as:
Exercise to reduce excess fat A reasonable diet with healthy calories Limit exposure to sex hormones such as estrogen . green vegetables, green tea and black tea...to reduce the effects of foreign estrogen.

When you see a child showing signs of precocious puberty, it is best to take the child to a doctor to find out the cause and get treatment advice, delay the child's precocious puberty. Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital has now built a specialized clinic of Pediatrics and Endocrinology, implementing the examination of kidney and endocrine related diseases, including early puberty, with the following outstanding advantages. :
Be examined and consulted by specialists with many years of experience in the field of Endocrinology - Pediatrics. An intensive clinic led by Associate Professor Dr. Huynh Thoai Loan has nearly 30 years of experience in the field of pediatric endocrinology. Performed laboratory tests to help diagnose the cause. Including blood test to assess hormone levels, CT scan to assess brain damage... Modern and advanced equipment system helps diagnose and treat effectively.