Precocious Puberty. Please can I have a handhold?

[LindorBunny]

So, dd aged 7 and a half. Has breast buds. Panicking.

Always been tall for age, not overweight.

So far only other signs I've noticed are some beigeish discharge sometimes and rather argumentative, although being arsey doesn't seem unusual amongst her friends. So far no pubic or underarm hair, no BO, no acne etc. No significant height or weight gain.

I'm going to try and get a GP appointment for this week. What should I be asking them to do? I presume, from what I've read, hormone tests and bone scan are necessary, with possibly also an MRI? Do we need a referral to an endocrinologist or can the GP deal with this? Or can the GP do initial tests whilst we await a referral?

My poor baby, she's far too young for this. She seemed remarkably unconcerned as we had our discussion about growing up whilst surrounded by my little ponies. (With plenty of sniggering at the word scrotum in the body book.)

I suppose best case it's bog standard early puberty and we consider medication to delay it? I don't want to think about the rest right now.

How significant is a long wait for an appointment going to be? We can probably stretch to an initial private appointment, but not ongoing treatment, should that be necessary.

Gp will refer to endocrinology, who will do blood test and wrist X ray to start with.

If it's precocious puberty you will get option to delay it using injection or just wait.

It may not be and I definitely wouldn't start worrying about MRIS and sinister causes yet. .they are very rare even if it is CPP which it may not be.

DD has it.

Thank you!

Did you chose to delay? How long did it take to see an endocrinologist?

Yes because DD has severe learning disability.

Can't remember how long it took..a couple of months?

Honestly..it may well not be, and even if it is it isn't hugely early, and is vanishingly unlikely to be sinister at 7.5

What is making you so concerned? 8 is an average age for breast buds to start. My DD is a couple of weeks off 8 and has breast buds, so longer, soft hair downstairs and BO. She also gets grumpy a couple of days before I do. AS far as I kow, its all normal for her age

Before 8 is technically early, but is getting more commoh

8 isn't really an average age for puberty but the earliest of the normal range

I totally wouldn't panic though.

What fanjo said Dd also had an ultra sound of her ovaries she was 3 years ahead or there about she didnt start her period till she was 11 though but had hair and buds from 7

Thanks, Fanjo.

Imnot, because 8 is early and under 8 is definitely early. Puberty was hard enough at an age when I was emotionally ready, even harder when you're a young child. Plus the associated risks of not achieving normal height etc.

From what I've read period usually start 12 to 24 months after breast development starts do she could be just 8.

It still may not be true puberty. But if it is they will explore all options with you :)

Yes I forgot about the ovarian scan.

Ok, thanks all. I'll ring for an appointment in the morning then at least we can start the ball rolling.

I'm not pretending to be informed on it, but if it's any reassurance Dd's friend was very early. Hair, body odour, and first period in y4, regular menstruation by start of y6. And certainly not overweight etc. And all absolutely normal and healthy, just early.

Do you really want to put your 7-year old through these invasive tests?...

Cattle fed with hormones and antibiotics should be looked at....

but of course in MNworld that is all woo

I wouldn't have said it was particularly early. If you had more signs then yes, but I would have said argumentative and the beginning of breast buds at 7 was fairly normal these days.

Dd rarely eats beef. Not a big dairy fan either. And was breastfed. So that's fairly unlikely to be the cause.

If there's no hair or change in smell, is it really precocious puberty? Could it just be that she happens to have put on a bit of fat on her chest?

Or do you mean actually shapely buds (like fitting in a AA bra)?

I thought periods were 2-3 years after first breast changes.....but longer if breast changes go before hair etc. IYSWIM

Dd grew really quickly and was tall in primary but the other girls over took her she is 5ft 3 as an adult

Really? According to the tanner stages which the nurse pointed me to when I mentioned DD's breast buds, periods can start up to 5 years after the initial breast buds. Your DD may be early but its only be a couple of months. As Iflyaway says, do you really want to put your DD through testing for the sake of a couple of months?

What school year? YR3 or 4?

One or two girls in year 4 usually have some breast growth, it's not hugely rare

My friends dd who is a year older than Dd started her period at 9

Lindor

I understand that you are very concerned, but I think a GP would most likely suggest a 'watch and wait' approach.

Bog standard early puberty wouldn't really be a reason for chemical intervention...just as in the opposite extreme, boys who haven't started puberty at 15 are not given testosterone treatment.

Totally unhelpful here but wtf are "breastbuds?!" The word for some reason makes me feel queasy but I have three girls and this thread is prompting a certain feeling of feeling I missed a lot on info growing up

Currently year 2. Definitely some breast change.

I think getting a bone scan done (they scan one wrist) to check bone maturity would be sensible then we can consider if further tests are necessary? I know a blood test wouldn't go down well. Because she's seven.

Its the first spurt of growth of breast tissue. It causes hard round lumps that can be sore. My DD was really bothered when they first started, always saying that they hurt (hence me mentioning them to the nurse) but she's a lot more settled now

I had breast buds at 8, periods at just 10, all totally normal