Need a hand hold re suspected early puberty in 6 year old

[qualitystreettin]

Daughter is tall for her age & a little chunky. She’s had body odour for a year which we use deodorant for. I noticed some pubic hairs a few weeks ago. We have seen a doctor who thinks she has breast buds too. She is going to refer us as she thinks this is likely early puberty.

she mentioned that brain tumours can cause this which terrified me, obviously. She did do basic neuro tests with DD whilst we were there & they were all fine so she said she wasn’t concerned it was that.

i just feel sick, we live rurally and the nearest private Endocronologist is a 6 hour round drive & no availability until March. Both my kids were critically ill when they were born & both under the care of Paeds for a few years each. Anything like this just throws me back there. Also the fact that she’s only 6 & although very mature for her age, 6 is just so young to be going through this.

Anyone that has been here before, any advice appreciated. Did your DC have treatment? Or just leave nature to it? What tests did they have?

TIA x

Also, you have time. Even if early puberty we were told from.wben symptoms start you have a few years to do tests, monitor and make decisions. March seems fairly prompt to me. Dd saw doctor first time in the March and saw specialist over the summer.

@NewCushionsThats interesting, I had assumed if it was early puberty that because it’s happening early & at an accelerated speed you didn’t have as much time.

Once my daughter had started we did have to move quick as we were told her bones could start fusing. She had wrist X-rays organised quickly to see where she was at and then the brain mri, when they had all results she was started on puberty blockers promptly to ensure her growth was not effected.

Mine was early, I started my periods at 9. No tumour and I’m 5ft 10

I think the general timeline is 18-24 months from when the breast buds start forming. So assuming the breast buds are new, there's time before her period would start.

What I don’t understand is why they’re bothering to do the diagnostic tests, as the doctor told me that as she has a few pubic hairs, slight body odour (without deodorant) & she has breast buds, it’s puberty. I’m confused at how her hormone levels could come back on a blood test as ‘normal’ & they could also come back as ‘abnormal’ signalling early /precocious puberty but her physical symptoms stay the same either way.

I have the same issue OP but with a severely disabled DD. You’ve just reminded me to get back on pestering her shit consultant about this.
Im sorry I have no advice but I wish you well

If she is entering puberty then the hormone levels will be high (and can have appropriate investigations if there is a reason to suspect a specific cause of precocious puberty eg there are some associated syndromes though these are rare).

If she doesn't have elevated pubertal hormones she isn't in puberty and alternative causes of the physical features - one possibility would be it actually is "adrenarche" and the breast buds aren't true breast buds.

Obviously physical findings are a highly important source of information but it would be quite irresponsible to reach a conclusion based only on that when quite straightforward tests do exist.

@UnseenentityThank you, that helps. Google seems to suggest that as she has breast buds that it will be early puberty & not Adrenarche, which is what I was hoping that it would actually turn out to be.

Yes she is the gold standard one. Ours was taught by her - ours is in Leicester runs NHS and private. Paediatric endocrinologist are few and far between however time is of the essence with puberty. We spent £250 on a private appointment to quickly establish what dealing with and then transferred back into NHS. It’s not ideal and there were delays but better than missing the boat so to speak. You may also be able to liaise with your GP practice for them to authorise bloods/tests/treatment etc and so that you reduce time going up to London. That’s what we’ve done - BTW we had opposite problem - delayed puberty. x

Being overweight will be both increasing her risks and confusing the symptoms, can you really try to work on that in the next few months? Even if it doesn't change the prognosis, it might help you feel more in control and it will help her have a good relationship with her body, which is going to be hard if she feels different to everyone else.

Good luck, I hope its minor and she gets to have a lovely stress free childhood.

Hi there @qualitystreettin - a big handhold from me because I know how worrying this is! My daughter had puberty onset at a very very early age and it was due to a small benign growth on her pituitary gland called a hypothalamic hamartoma (scary name but definitely benign and a not uncommon cause of early puberty). They did a brain scan first off to determine the cause and referred to endocrinologist. She had monthly injections at hospital for years to hold off puberty progressing until a more appropriate age, and to make sure she kept growing through childhood, because growth slows down to very little once periods start. She is now a happy and healthy teenager and no longer needs any medical intervention and you wouldn't know there'd ever been anything wrong. Hope that helps! It was a stressful process at times especially with all the hospital visits but there was always someone lovely who helped make it easier. Trust your instincts, you're stronger and wiser than you know and she'll have all she needs with you in her corner. Best of luck x

Hey there @emotionalsupportpickleThank you for your message. Do you mind me asking how old your daughter was when it started? And with regards to the tumour, how did they know it was benign? It’s honestly so worrying & the waiting is the worst. I wish you could have the appointment & all the diagnostic tests on the same day but it never works like that does it. Xx

Following as my dd is 11 but extremely short for her age. I do worry as she has some signs of puberty. But the only growing a few inches after your first period is a real worry. She is the height of a 9 year old and has some extremely short people on her dad's side. Adult women being 4 foot 2 - 3. 9

This x100. The signs of breast buds may well be a sign of early puberty, but could be weight, could just be adenarch etc. That's why they go through the testing process and why you do have some time to go through that process to get a clearer, more definitive diagnosis and then to decide on treatment, if necessary.

My daughter had early puberty with periods at 8. No identified cause, just one of those things. She’s an adult now and everything is as it should be. It’s extremely daunting at the time but it’s not usually anything sinister. Indeed, I’ve come across a few kids the same since. Wishing you luck.

Just coming on with a handhold too - I know how worrying this is. My DD had signs of puberty at 7 - after investigations she was diagnosed with premature adrenarche rather than puberty. We expected her period early anyway as it comes early for adrenarche too but she didn’t start till 11.5. She also had advanced bone age of 2 years but is 13 now and 5’6 so it’s all been okay. Even if your DD is in true puberty there are things they can do to help her so try not to worry too much if you can. 💐

This happened with my daughter at 6 as well. With her, it turned out to be a thyroid problem - she had basically burnt all her thyroxin and her pituitary was sending any other hormone to try and right itself. She has been on thyroxine ever since and the precocious puberty resolved itself. It was extremely scary though so I understand how you feel x

I think it’s worth noting that when this happened to my daughter 20 years ago, she was the first in primary school to start her period. They had to buy bins because they’d not needed them before. Certainly she was the first in her primary school, clearly I can’t speak for others. Now there are a lot of kids in primary with periods and I wonder what has caused that, is it because we’re better fed or developed now?

@IncessantNameChanger Speak to your GP and ask for referral to a paediatrician mentioning the family history of short stature.

We went to the gp early this year when dd was 128 cm aged 10.5. She hadn't grown in two years. The gp kept on saying that she couldn't grasp what the issue was. I said I wanted her measured so we could reliably check her growth. I felt like a total idiot. Like being 4 foot 3 as a adult was perfectly standard height. Dh is saying to wait to see if she grows a bit more this month as she is finally growing a bit. But she started puberty about a year ago and I'm worried once her periods start she won't make 5 foot either. 5 foot is short but fine. 4 foot 3 I feel is very short.

My DD 2 went through this at 6 as she had acne and pubic hair and we went to Sheffield Hospital for many tests. Fast forward to her being 19 her periods started at the right time and she is just fine.

I started my periods at barely 11 , my mums family are short and petite , I am only 5”1 but so was my Mum and she didn’t get her period until she was 14. A school friend got hers at 9 and grew to be 5”9. Like her Mum !

Has she been tested or has anyone mentioned Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia?
More severely affected children are diagnosed at birth but in some cases it is picked up due to early puberty.
I know 3 children (siblings and cousins) with the more severe type and were diagnosed at birth. 2 needed drugs to delay puberty. All are fit and healthy young adults now.

Best of luck finding an answer.

@IncessantNameChanger. Go back to the GP and push for a referral. Delaying is not a good idea as if a child can benefit from treatment, the earlier the better.