DD 6 with pubic hair growing - advice please

[Idisagreewithnickclegg]

DD (6.7)is the tallest in her class and wears age 8 clothes. She's sturdily built and has always seemed heavier than her peers to pick up, but is not chubby in any way.

She proudly announced to me yesterday that she has hair growing on her 'bottom' and showed me some fine hair which I had not noticed at all until she pointed it out. It's growing more underneath in the labia than on the oustide of the vagina. I was horrified and had a bit of a sleepless night last night thinking about it.

Also, her chest has never really been completely flat like some kids and her friends tell her that she's got 'boobies'. Now, I never bothered about this before, but putting the two things together - do I need to take her to the GP for tests for precocious puberty?

I really would hate for her to start periods at 7 or 8 - it would be awful - but at the same time, do they give them some sort of hormone treatment to deal with puberty if it's precocious? I'm not sure that would be great either.

Any advice/comments/help much appreciated!

Yep, off to the GP you go. I've no idea what they do about precocious puberty but either way it's got to be better to get some advice/reassurance.

Poor you - on the plus side it sounds like your DD is not too bothered; make sure you don't show her your or !!!

I hope someone experienced comes along soon

From what I know, this should be investigated so that they can make sure she will reach a full adult height, I think sometimes they give growth hormone as precocious puberty can result in short stature later (CAN not will though).

sorry, I dont think they give growth hormone, they give something else to arrest the precocious puberty. Needs investigating though I think.

My DD has started periods at just 8, without any signs of pubic hair at all. The GP said early periods were getting more common but that early pubic hair was more of an indicator of early puberty

Good luck -- and have That Talk earlier than you might have intended, as we were somewhat caught out by it all!

Thanks ladies. Thought so.... Better make that appointment before I chicken out.

I hope she won't end up short - I'm 5'11" and it would be a bit odd if she was a lot shorter than me!

At the moment, she thinks it's great to be grown up - but I'll get into the doctors room and end up blubbing like I usually do when discussing a dc's health problem.

My dd began getting v fine pubic hair around this time.
She is 9 now (almost 10), the gp didn't actually do anything, she told me it wasn't that early anymore
DD now has a lot of hair under her arms as well as pubic hair, she started wearing a bra about 6 months ago.
She started needing deodorant when she was 7.

I have my doubts about the gp's decision but dd seems to have shot up height wise the last few months so we shall see.
We are slightly different though, in that I am only 5ft and her father was only around 5"7.

She is also "solidly built". Not fat, she does a huge amount of sport but definitely grows out before she grows up if you see what I mean.

Gah - doctor's surgery 'closed for training' this aft so no appt til tomorrow.

I need to check under her arms as well to see if there's anything going on there. She doesn't have any sweaty smell yet and if she hadn't pointed out the hair to me herself, I don't know when I would have noticed it.

I'm hoping that the GP will reassure me in some way - if 8 is a normal, if early, age to start puberty, then she's not really so far off.

DD was just 7 when she found her first so similar to your dd.

Underarm hair didn't appear until about 8 months ago, it's now very noticeable but she doesn't want to do anything about it yet. Luckily no one has commented at swimming so far but I think we'll have to do something for her.

I posted on here a while ago asking if there was any correlation between the age DDs start their periods and the age their mothers did. The general consensus was that it seemed to be more weight related these days. Most people felt around 7 and a half stone. My DD was 9 when her boobs started to grow.She needed a fitted bra by 10. She has some downy pubic hair but nothing under her arms yet. I think the sweat gland development tends to come first. You'll definately be able to smell them working.As yet DD1 has not had a period but all the other physical signs seem to be in place including the hormonal mood swings. It has been quite a long slow buildup in her case. Your DD might just be starting on that road.These books are great;

Have You Started Yet?: Getting the Facts Straight by Ruth Thomson, Ruth Thompson, and Jane Eccles (Paperback - 10 Feb 1995)

WHAT'S HAPPENING TO MY BODY: BOOK FOR GIRLS by Lynda Madaras (Paperback - April 2008)

I didn't start my periods until 13 which was fairly average back in 1980.

Re mood swings - not sure whether I'll be able to tell the difference, unless puberty has been going on since Day One!

I was always very hairy as a kid (still am) which I was very self-conscious about. DD isn't hairy on her arms and legs and is a fairer complexion, hair colour etc than me - I have very dark hair.

I hated that my mum always insisted that I was too young to start shaving my legs, so one day I did it myself to stop the mickey-taking by the boys at school. I think I was about 11 at the time.