polycystic ovaries in a child

[mckenzie]

My 7 year old god daughter has just been diagnosed with polycystic ovaries. Has anyone ever heard of one so young getting them? My dear friend, the young girl's mother, is beside herself. She has polycystic ovaries herself and so is blaming herself for her daughter now having them.
Is it good do you think that she's been diagnosed so young or is it bad that she's got them already?

Trying very hard to find something positive out of this.

[tamum]

I found this very recent abstract which seems rather down-to-earth and reassuring:

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition characterised by menstrual abnormalities and clinical or biochemical features of hyperandrogenism. Features of PCOS may manifest at any age, ranging from childhood (premature puberty), teenage years (hirsutism, menstrual abnormalities), early adulthood and middle life (infertility, glucose intolerance) to later life (diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease). While pelvic ultrasound examination is useful, many women without PCOS have polycystic ovaries; ultrasound evidence is not necessary for the diagnosis. Testing for glucose intolerance and hyperlipidaemia is wise, especially in obese women, as diabetes mellitus is common in PCOS. Lifestyle changes as recommended in diabetes are fundamental for treatment; addition of insulin-sensitising agents (eg, metformin) may be valuable in circumstances such as anovulatory infertility. Infertility can be treated successfully in most women by diet and exercise, clomiphene citrate with or without metformin, ovarian drilling, or ovulation induction with gonadotrophins; in-vitro fertilisation should be avoided unless there are other indications.

It seems as though the it's much more likely to have an early onset if it's hereditary. Your friend mustn't blame herself though! She might want to consdier genetic counselling, not because it would affect the way your god-daughter is treated, but just to help her deal with her feelings of guilt. I hope they both do very well.

[mckenzie]

thank you tamum. I shall pass it on to my friend.

[robinw]

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