Puberty blockers for an eight-year-old with early puberty and short stature?

[Cattenberg]

This isn’t about gender, but as you collectively seem to know a lot about puberty blockers, I thought you might give me some things to think about before I take DD to a GP appointment next week.

DD is eight and is already showing some early signs of puberty. She is also very short for her age (a family trait) and sometimes complains about being the shortest in her class and the second shortest in her year group.

I understand that starting puberty at eight isn’t classed as precocious puberty, but that it would be if she were seven. And I know that everyone develops at their own rate, but my concern is that by starting puberty early, DD won’t reach her full potential height (which would be short, anyway).

I don’t know if taking puberty blockers for a year or two would be an option in DD’s case, but I’d like to know more about the benefits and drawbacks.

and "Side effects such as bone health risks typically only occur with prolonged use past the age of puberty. " may very well be absolutely true, and it certainly explains why women who care about children oppose giving puberty blockers for six or more years to what would be adolescents if their development had not been frozen; it's when that's done to the research subjects I mean sorry the unfortunate dysphoric children that health risks will typically occur.

Risks to mental health are so difficult to pinpoint or be certain about: which came first, the drugs or the poor mental health? Who can say, especially if the mental health wasn't measured before the drugs were administered.

My DD started her periods at 8, with puberty showing around a year before. It was not considered an issue by our GP. Both of her parents are short-ish. I’m 5ft 5, just, ex is 5ft 7. DD is taller than both of us.

You should go to the GP (and then the specialist your GP refers you to) and listen seriously to professional medical advice.

The gender critical posters on this forum do not ‘collectively know a lot’ about puberty blockers. They have their own political agenda, and giving you the best advice for your child’s health is not necessarily their priority (and anyone who is prioritising your child’s health will advise you to seek professional advice).

Despite their protestations, this is quite a closed, extremist part of the internet. It is not somewhere to go with questions about your child’s health (you might get a more balanced opinion in a different section of Mumsnet, but not sex and gender discussions),

Eight isn’t that unusual for the early stages of puberty to show. Lots of people are short. Why would this even cross your mind? These are nasty drugs.

To be honest, I suspect that they are potentially nasty enough for most reputable specialists to be very wary of prescribing them at all, unless they are absolutely necessary. We've got an example of that upthread.

It’s a vile, if revealing, reply.

Seeing as this thread is perhaps more about general health than feminism then may I just highlight for those who are on HRT - particularly using gel or spray- be very wary of close contact with your children as there are cases of children showing puberty signs because of absorbing oestrogen from their mums skin! Also applies to pets!

It is fair to say that many posters here 'collectively know a lot about puberty blockers' from either academic research or personal experience, or both.

I think your concern is misplaced - I'm confident that Cattenberg isn't daft and is fully aware of what she's doing and where's she's asking questions.
She explicitly said in her post that posters here ' might give me some things to think about', not that she was entrusting her child's health to the opinion of this thread.

Be wary of anyone like this who claims it is extremist to NOT want to stop normal childhood development.

As you say, early signs of puberty at age 8 are not considered precocious puberty and I doubt an endocrinologist would prescribe puberty blockers. They can, however, check how advanced her puberty is and you can take it from there.

Girls with precocious puberty often face greater psychosocial difficulties, including an increased risk of depression and anxiety. It is very difficult for them to be physically much more developed than their classmates while still being very immature. They also often experience inappropriate behaviours from men and boys.

I would have conversations about puberty with her. Babette Cole's book "Hair in Funny Places" is helpful.

My DD had early adrenarche so underarm hair and BO starting at 7. Her bone age was 2 years advanced - she started proper puberty at a little over 9 ie there was a bit of breast development. She was just monitored as the endocrinologist was very reluctant for puberty blockers unless absolutely necessary. She didn’t start her period until 11.5 in the end and she is now almost 14. I think she’s just stopped growing and she’s between 5’6 and 5’7 but I decided if she has been short I still would have preferred that to medication. Make sure she has true precocious puberty before you do anything .

The OP cannot check credentials here - whether a poster has either academic expertise or lived experience. That is why they should take advice from a medical professional with an understanding of their child’s case.

Which would also be equally true of the 'different section of Mumsnet' that you suggested may be more help. The majority of advice is speak to your GP, with some personal experiences thrown in. The OP is presumably neither a child nor an idiot and is aware of the limitations of the internet.

I do think there’s a greater risk of misinformation and fear-mongering here than elsewhere on Mumsnet, although I agree ideally the OP wouldn’t consult a chat forum at all.

You disagree with me, and that’s absolutely fine. But it’s sort of my point - feelings are very strong here on both sides!

One of my dds had signs of early puberty at 8. She saw a paediatric endocrinologist, and was then sent for x rays of her hand, bloods and an ultrasound of her uterus and ovaries. Everything else was normal with no signs of actual puberty. She was diagnosed with premature adrenarche and she was seen for a year or two afterwards, she started her periods at 12. When we first saw the endocrinologist, before we had the scans, I mentioned puberty blockers and he said that they have many side effects including on bone density.
So you will probably be referred and then she will be scanned and assessed. The scan was external, in case you are worried about that.

I can't think why women with experience of precisely what the OP is asking about, children who might be starting early puberty, should be ignored for being "in the wrong part" of Mumsnet,

Relaying information about a lived experience being dismissed as "misinformation and fear-mongering" seems to me to be quite remarkably rude on the part of the one doing the dismissing, really.

I do think there’s a greater risk of misinformation and fear-mongering here than elsewhere on Mumsnet

Utter nonsense. The depth of knowledge and expertise among the women (and some men) on here is second to none, is factual, evidence based and always given with consideration for the emotional and physical health of children at the forefront. Except, that is, advice from those who would promote puberty blockers and cross sex hormones to children in the interests of promoting their anti-science, counterfactual, ideologically driven agenda.

Well as my comment has been deleted I cant make the point about why this is happening. Other than trying to suggest that a forum focusing on women sex based rights is a target for those who want to undermine its validity. Even at the expense of a woman asking other women their opinion, lived experience.

You can think why, so please don’t be disingenuous. Everyone here knows why gender critical mumsnetters might have a vested interest in particular narratives around puberty blockers. i’m not even interested in debating those narratives …. Im just pointing out that people here may have an agenda, and seeking medical advice and listening to it would be the wisest way forwards 🤷‍♀️

Why? Would there be greater risk of misinformation? I think this may stem from a mistaken belief that some feminists object to puberty blockers because they hate ‘trans children’, rather than being cautious about prescribing strong drugs to any children.

I can imagine why TRAs (and the I’m as GC as they come people) aren’t keen on this thread - particularly here - because what we’ve seen are actual parents relating their experiences. Experiences that suggest that puberty blockers are prescribed extremely rarely, even where there is a medical condition present. That rather does belie the TRA narrative of them being ‘really harmless because they’ve been handing them out to ‘cis’ children willy nilly’

I suspect the OP, having been aware of this TRA narrative had some concerns about how unquestionably they would be prescribed. Hopefully the parents with real world experience have reassured her.

Of course the OP should, and clearly has every intention of taking advice from a medical professional with an understanding of her DD's case.
Coming on here to seek thoughts and talking points and personal experiences of parents who have been through the same issues to prepare for the consultation with that medical professional isn't a problem, is it?

Give Cattenberg some credit!

Except I have not promoted puberty blockers. I’ve only advocated for seeking expert medical advice about the OPs daughter’s specific case.

You’ll forgive me if I take claim that the medical expertise on the Mumsnet sex and gender forums is ‘second to none’ with a pinch of salt.

I am giving the OP as much credit as I can, but I can’t pretend that seeking balanced advice about puberty blockers on the most gender critical space around is the most sensible thing I’ve ever seen.