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Children's health

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Original poster

Ds nearly 14, no sign of puberty

33 replies

Mumofteens2023 · 20/02/2023 14:38

Hi,
Just that really. When to start being worried. He has also only lost a few baby teeth and still some night time wetting. (Could be controlled with tablets but he hates them )

I did ask last year, when we were at the clinic about bedwetting whether there might be a link but told not likely.

But when I think about what his brother was like at this age they could not be more different. He is still very young looking and no signs of change at all. Would be grateful for any advice as to what I can do for him and if it could be more serious that I realise.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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EalingW13 · 20/02/2023 14:41

My son had no signs until he was nearly 15. Then everything happened very quickly. I think it can happen at 14 and not be counted as delayed. I’d give it a few months and if you’re still worried see the GP.

Sunshineismyfriend · 20/02/2023 14:41

Im sure it will happen soon but if worries see if you can get an appointment with the doctor. They check something with the bones to make sure they are growing. Something like that. My friend took her son and that’s what she said. She was told he was just a ‘late’ starter.

crazyBadger · 20/02/2023 15:00

One of my twins was teeny no signs of puberty while his brother towered over him and had the teenage stank...

Puberty hit him like a freight train just before 14.. he grew 3 shoe sizes and 20+ cm in a couple of months ... His voice dropped considerably, and he is embracing deodorant and aftershave :)

They are both still growing like weeds and are much more even now..both taller than me 😂

MaireadMcSweeney · 20/02/2023 15:10

It's within normal not to have started up to 14.5 but maybe make a a GP appointment shortly after his 14th birthday if there are genuinely no signs.
my DS is slim and short and until recently had no signs but has had a growth spurt and some upper lip hair now at 14.5. Also the first sign in boys is testicle growth which is not something you would normally know about at this age!

winepleasenotwhine · 20/02/2023 15:24

It's entirely possible it's just a late puberty. If you are concerned, 1 in 600 boys has Klinefelter syndrome and it often goes undiagnosed unless there are other issues which flag it. It's often diagnosed in adults who fail to conceive.

Violinist64 · 20/02/2023 21:08

One of my sons was very late getting his baby teeth - half a tooth at a year old and most of his teeth came through all at once in the next two or three three months. It was very painful for him. Fast forward to his teens and he only had his front eight adult teeth by his fourteenth birthday but in the next few months it was a reverse of his babyhood as he shed the baby teeth almost all at once as the adult teeth grew in at the same time.

HowardKirksConscience · 20/02/2023 21:13

See your GP, ask for a referral to a paediatric endocrinologist, even if they put you off by telling you to wait and see. My DS had this.

BabyST · 20/02/2023 22:00

My son was like this and later diagnosed with Klinefelter Syndrome, he had late onset of puberty (15 and 7 months) and remains small, skinny, and not much hair on arms and legs. As mentioned above a referral to a paediatric endocrinologist is best for a full blood count and a look at his sex hormone FSH and LSH they are the two main ones that show issues (if present). It can be such a scary time. Contact me via PM if I can try answering any of your present concerns.

Original poster

Mumofteens2023 · 21/02/2023 14:12

Thanks for all these messages. Lots of useful info and think referral is what we need to check it out.
Did any of you have issues with baby teeth not falling out and/or bedwetting?

Also how did you sons feel about going tovgp about this. I know right now my ds will hate it as very shy and will say I am making a fuss.

OP posts:

gogohmm · 21/02/2023 14:36

Dd2 was 14 and no signs, saw dr at 15 and 6 months (remember girls are younger usually) and still didn't meet the criteria for referral (16) gp said to come in for bloods after her birthday, but by then she was showing signs, periods started at 16 & 4 months. There's a huge range and boys can be as late as 18.

TheCatch · 21/02/2023 15:06

Late puberty is one thing but not losing more than a few baby teeth at 14 sounds highly odd to me. The almost full milk teeth, the late puberty, and bed wetting together sounds like something that requires a referral to a peaditrician.

How tall is he?
Has his voice changed at all?

TheSilveryPussycat · 21/02/2023 15:16

My DB lagged behind his peers with puberty, but it did happen, just a bit late.

But he was bullied at school about it, and the memory of it still hurts him decades later. Just something to watch out for.

123sunshine · 21/02/2023 15:31

My friends son still has bedwetting issues and like your son at the same age hasn't hit puberty. They have been told that puberty should help stop the bed wetting. They have been under the consultant for many years.

Hope551 · 21/02/2023 15:38

Just a quick thought, had your son been to dentist and had X-ray? My brother never lost baby teeth and it turned out he had never developed adult teeth so there was nothing to push them out with?

Original poster

Mumofteens2023 · 21/02/2023 15:49

Yes been to dentists every 6 months. Teeth are there and look fine just not moving.
Will see if I can get him to a gp and get a referral I think. Rather check it out just in case.

OP posts:

secular39 · 21/02/2023 16:14

The start of puberty is not just looking out for the the most physical aspects (voice/hair). The first signs of puberty is when the testicles grow- over 4mm ( I think that's the measurement)-is when puberty starts. This is often missed by parents because rightly we wouldn't be looking it measuring our boys testicles. But I would refer to an endocrinologist. They are amazing and we had a brilliant consultant. Nothing was wrong in the end but they do thorough investigations.

hopeishere · 21/02/2023 16:38

My son is just 15 and we are investigating him for delayed puberty. We went privately initially for the bone measurements and bloods but are now waiting for an NHS endocrinology appointment.

Remmy123 · 21/02/2023 18:32

Sounds just like my son he was 14 in December

growth in general slow he wears age 12 school trousers.

baby teeth took ages to come out. Just had x2 taken out by dentist for braces at some point

v occasional wets bed.

we went private last year aged 13.5 to a endocrinologist who ran tests. Bone age is 2 years behind. His testicles showed no signs of puberty.

she suggested hormone injections around now if no changes - We have decided to wait and see what happens over the course of the year.

he is about 5ft 2 and pretty conscious about lack of puberty and height.

BabyST · 21/02/2023 19:53

Mumofteens2023 · 21/02/2023 14:12

Thanks for all these messages. Lots of useful info and think referral is what we need to check it out.
Did any of you have issues with baby teeth not falling out and/or bedwetting?

Also how did you sons feel about going tovgp about this. I know right now my ds will hate it as very shy and will say I am making a fuss.

Mine didn't really have any bedwetting issues however would need a wee a lot doing the day or in the car. Sometimes (rare) did wet himself in the car while stuck on the motorway for example.

We explained everything to him we are an open family so he wasn't fussed who was there with him for the exam. I ended up taking him as DH was working. The main way to find out if he has started puberty is the testicle exam seeing how big his testicles are this can also be followed up with an ultrasound to have an official measurement. We did it this way.

watchfulwishes · 21/02/2023 19:58

NHs says: There's not usually any need to worry if puberty does not start around the average age, but it's a good idea to speak to your GP for advice if it starts before 8 or has not started by around 14. www.nhs.uk/conditions/early-or-delayed-puberty/

So you could go now as you are at the stage I would call 'around 14'.

Towelin · 21/02/2023 21:34

Hiya, this sounds very familiar!

My son was 14 last week. Measured him earlier and he's only 150cm, so not even 5ft yet and weighs 38kg. He looks like a 10 year old, and his younger sisters are now bigger and taller.

Definitely no growth spurt so I'm thinking no puberty yet. But as others have said, maybe there have been other changes that I wouldn't know about.

But really interesting about the bedwetting and teeth.

He still has 3 baby teeth which I was planning to ask the dentist about on our next visit as Google suggests they 'should' have gone by now.

We've battled forever with bedwetting. I think he's now about 50 50 at night, but is on tolterodine.

I've wondered if all these bits were linked, and actually less worried about not seeing signs of puberty yet, because perhaps he is just generally delayed in his development.

Is your son short too? Or has grown but not showing puberty signs?

Towelin · 21/02/2023 21:38

@Remmy123 your son sounds like a giant in comparison to mine!

I had googled a while back and seem to think there's possibly some risk with hormone injections that I can't quite remember. Maybe something about how it could give a rapid growth spurt but then it stops. So ultimately might end up shorter than if you'd just waited patiently.

Happy to be corrected though by anyone who has been through this, as I need to think through next steps for my son.

goants · 21/02/2023 21:47

Following…

Remmy123 · 22/02/2023 08:12

@Towelin yes that is correct someone put that on another thread that overall height may be compromised

how tall are you and your husband?

winepleasenotwhine · 22/02/2023 13:54

Towelin · 21/02/2023 21:38

@Remmy123 your son sounds like a giant in comparison to mine!

Happy to be corrected though by anyone who has been through this, as I need to think through next steps for my son.

Research papers I read a few months back (because of Klinefelter investigations) indicated that testosterone injections were likely to result in a lower overall growth but a slow release patch didn't have this issue.

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