Periods at 10...

[Peapodlovescuddles]

My dd is tiny for her age, she is 10y9m and 4ft2, she is 53lb,her bmi is 14.8 (I found this online - A 10 year and 9 month old (female) child who is 53.0 pounds and 4 feet and 2.25 inches tall, has a body mass index of 14.8, which is at the 9.5th percentile and is considered to be a healthy weight)
she got her first period this morning.
I can't help being very worried, I know girls are starting earlier and earlier but its normally the taller, chunkier girls.
Her sister who is 14 got her first period at 13 3/4, I was nearly 15 when I started, so were all my sisters.
I suppose I'm just wondering if I should take her to the doctors or not and if someone can give us both some wise, supportive words... please

My dd(9) started showing signs of puberty last summer. School nurse was brill, talked to me and dd, had lots of really good literture aimed at her age group.

It happens. I don;'t think at 10 this would be concidered precocious puberty (but others may be along with more info)

You are right to be surprised, early puberty tends to run in families, and tends only to start when the child reaches 7 stone.

But this happened to my cousin, under similar circumstances to your dd.

Average age wjhen I started was 13, but it is dropping

Dd's periods also started at 10; she is tall, but very slim. Though in our case it was less surprising since I started at 11 (I was a great deal chunkier though).
I doubt you need to take her to the doctor's though; just make sure she eats a good balanced diet with enough iron in it.

Yes I agree totally with MB, the average age is dropping quite rapidly, was mighty shocked to notice my DS1 (12) hitting puberty head on earlier this year, I am pretty sure when I was at school this would have been considered very unusual, but now it's not uncommon. It did cause me some heartache though, my "little boy" really was growing up!

dd1 began 11 yrs 2 months

I know the school gives a talk to all year 5 (thats 9-10 and yrs) because in their experience there are a small number of girls that do start early in years 5 and 6.

I stared about 14 as did my sister.

I started about age 11 so your lo isnt much younger than that and I started mine 20 odd years ago now.

thanks for replies but i guess what concerns me the most is not her age but her size iykwim, shes sooo small still, age 7-8 clothes are too big on the waist a lot of the time, she has no hips or body hair, only just got breast buds a couple of months ago and I'm under the impression most girls don't grow much after the start menstruating, she's 4ft 2 FGS!!! I'm just so scared for her and utterly hormonal myself having just had a baby!
I might ask my GP or midwife when I next see them...
has anyone started young and grown a foot or more afterwards?

See this thread and look at the BBC website link I posted.

I think a GP visit might be a good idea.

thread here

according to nhs direct, puberty normally starts between 9 and 16 so your lo isnt that early. It also says periods can start between the age of 8 and 16 so again your lo is within that age group.

hi, i would also be worried if this was my dd, it sounds weird that she is so tiny and undeveloped otherwise. i say a quick visit to the doc might give you peace of mind??

i started my periods at 13 and i am sure i kept growing after that!! (am 5'7 now and i am sure i wasnt that height at 13!!)

I was only 10, but I haven't grown more than about 4 inches, and my feet haven't grown any more, so I can understand why you are worried. I think i would take a trip to the doctors, maybe just on your own for a chat at first.

Also has she got regular periods, or is it just once in a while? My sister only had one about every 4 months when she first started (although she was 14) and took ages to have a regular cycle. She had no boobs, and wasn't hairy etc. Think her body just liked being in a muddle. Come to think about it she has always been awkward lol x hth

I grew quite a bit after starting puberty, so I don't think growth necessarily stops at the onset. And dd has certainly grown a lot even in the year since she started- and she looks set to grow quite a bit taller.

Hi - it does sound odd that she has started her periods but is physically undeveloped in other areas.

The easiest thing to do is to take her to the GP - put your mind at rest.

Good luck

I was a teeny skinny little thing but I started at 11. It seemed to be the first puberty type thing to hit me, before boobs and hair etc. Made me feel a bit awkward, but no harm done

I started mine at nine and I'm a titch - it can just happen - different people mature differently. I was having my bra straps twinged by the boys at flipping primary school

If you are concerned- yes of course take her to the GP but you might want to wait a month, sometimes you have one and then nothing for six months when they first start if it's very early.

I was just over 10 when I started mine. I am still only 5ft, but at 10 I was a little overweight. My periods at that age were regular and I suffered awful period pains.

well, I spoke to the doctor today and she said it might not even be a period, as she is so small, it might be that she has hurt herself on her bike or horse, especially as it was rather light, she's going to have some tests done to see...
I'm hoping soooooo much that that is the case.
If not then she might have to have some hormone tablets to stop the onset/continuation of puberty while taking human growth hormone for a few years while she grows about another foot-ish.
I'm still so concerned for her, she's just a baby really
And to think, at 13/14 I was DESPERATE to start