DD (12) Vanished periods!

[WafflesOrIceCream]

Hi,

My dd first started her periods at the age of 10, they were regular from there but then after she turned 12, her periods became irregular then vanished!Her last period was in March this year.

I have spoken to the doctor who said this can be all normal but to keep an eye on her too.She is too young for them to diagnose or do tests on her for pcos.

I am trying not to worry as I don't want her to worry about this either but I can't help it.
Before anyone asks, she is not sexually active.

Thank you

Do you mean your GP? Can you ask for a gynae or paeds referral? Can you go privately for just the initial review? If there is a letter stating what course of action is necessary, it can't be ignored by primary care.

What's her weight like? Low body weight can cause periods to stop.

one of mine had times when they stopped but she has eating issues

I had my first period one week after my 10th birthday. Then nothing for four months. Second one was horrendous. Following on was sporadic.

Eventually settled down to a 28 day perfect cycle for the rest of my life.

Wouldn't worry too much but obviously keep an eye on as everyone is different.

She is overweight and we have been working on keeping her active and encouraging her to eat healthy.

@WafflesOrIceCream was she overweight when she started ?

Did her periods get irregular when she moved up to secondary school? If so, could it be stress related?

@Imbusytodaysorry yes she was overweight when she started.

Please go back to the doctor, because a young person I know was diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency in her late teens.

Premature Ovarian Insufficiency is very rare at younger ages, but it does happen and cases seem to be increasing. Cases of POI following Covid have also been documented.

Please do get her checked out, and POI ruled out, rather than waiting and seeing.

So she started her period at the end of year 6(primary school).They were regular from day one and then stopped at the age of 12 except for two cycles.

I’m no medical expert, but could it be Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)? Does she have any other symptoms that would fit?

As your doctor has told you - this can be, and almost certainly is, normal. She’s young and her weight and hormones are fluctuating. You really don’t need to worry.

If she is quite a big girl anyway I would be thinking PCOS.

I never had a regular cycle I could go six months between periods
I didn't stop me getting pregnant twice naturally.

Cut down her sugar intake and see if it makes a difference. If she's overweight it's probably linked to that and you'd be better to tackle it gently now than later.

It probably is normal - but GPs aren't great at recognising rare cases, when they may not have seen them in general practice.

Some girls are the 1 in 10,000, and the consequences are life-changing.

It's good to get things ruled out, rather than working on the balance of probabilities.