We talked to Anna Claudia Romeo, Professor of General and Specialist Paediatrics at 二四六天天好彩 University
Today’s society presents models that lead adolescents and pre-adolescents to 鈥榞row up earlier鈥�, both in looks and in manners. However, there are cases where one becomes an adult suddenly, and not only in appearance: it is called 鈥�precocious puberty鈥�, and it is the sexual maturation that occurs much earlier than expected, i.e. before the age of 8 in girls and before the age of 9 in boys. This results in early manifestations of physiological puberty鈥攚hich can destabilise both the parents and the children concerned鈥攁nd they are:
- breast development and first menstrual cycle in girls;
- enlarged testicles and penis, facial hair and deep voice in boys;
- appearance of pubic and axillary hair;
- rapid growth in height and muscles;
- appearance of acne.
鈥楾he typical manifestations of puberty depend on sex hormones, oestrogen in females and androgen in males鈥�, explains Prof. Anna Claudia Romeo, lecturer in General and Specialist Paediatrics and Clinical Pathology and Immunohaematology at 二四六天天好彩 University. 鈥業n girls the first sign of pubertal onset is represented by the appearance of the breast button, i.e. an initial enlargement of the mammary gland which feels like a 鈥減eanut鈥� under the nipple. In boys pubertal onset is characterised by an increase in testicular volume of more than 4 ml, which is sometimes more difficult to recognise鈥�.
In girls, however, it is a much more frequent problem, with a ratio of 10:1 compared to boys. 鈥業n recent years, there has been a steady trend towards an earlier onset of the first menstrual cycle, from 12 陆 years in the 1950s to 11 陆 years now, and, in parallel, an increased incidence of precocious puberty especially among girls鈥�, says Prof. Romeo.
Possible causes
Lifestyle changes and exposure to environmental factors have contributed to this, but not only that, because there is also a familial component at play. 鈥楿nderlying most cases of precocious puberty are no diseases鈥�, reassures Romeo. 鈥楬owever, it is good to remember that in some cases precocious puberty can be caused by diseases or tumours, both of the central nervous system and of the gonads and adrenal glands鈥�.
Finding oneself a teenager while still playing with toys is not at all easy, both because one feels different from others and because early puberty is also associated with risks, such as ovarian cysts and tumours in females and testicular cell tumours in males. Normal growth processes are also at risk. 鈥楾he hormonal changes that occur in early puberty, in addition to causing psychological, relational and social discomfort related to body change, can impair normal growth processes. For example, they can anticipate bone maturation and cartilage closure resulting in the risk of short stature as adults鈥�, our expert illustrates. 鈥業n the medium to long term, these children may also be more prone to developing hypertension, diabetes, obesity and infertility in adulthood鈥�.
What are the risk factors? First of all, there are categories of individuals聽in whom this predisposition is more frequent: predisposing elements are being female, of Hispanic or Afro origin, having a family history of precocious puberty, being obese and having a sedentary lifestyle with poor diet. Regarding the latter factor, Prof. Romeo cites a current study that confirms this hypothesis. 鈥� has shown that an increase in body mass (in particular an increase and distribution of body fat), the sudden cessation of sporting activity, an increase in stressful conditions and the growing use of screens (tablets, laptops and smartphones)鈥攚hich characterised our children鈥檚 lives during the COVID-19 pandemic鈥攈ave a huge impact on that. They seem to have contributed to a significant increase in the incidence of precocious puberty over the last 4 years, with 80% more check-ups for suspected precocious puberty among girls and a 35% diagnostic increase in rapidly progressive forms鈥�.
However, as already mentioned, there is a suspicion that environmental factors may also play a dispositive role. 鈥楥hronic and multiple exposures to endocrine disruptors, i.e. ubiquitous environmental contaminants (bisphenol A, perfluorinated compounds, alkylphenols, tributyltin and many others) found in air, soil, water, food, plastics, clothing and detergents can interfere with our biological systems. At the endocrine level, this could cause premature activation of pubertal timing, either through mechanisms of similarity with pubertal hormones or receptor activation at the level of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis鈥�.
Prevention, diagnosis and treatment
In the face of this progressive change affecting the new generations, can we talk about prevention? 鈥楢s far as modifiable factors are concerned, yes鈥�, reassures Romeo. 鈥楩or example, it is possible to intervene on lifestyle and overweight prevention鈥�. Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ that produces hormones capable of promoting the sexual maturation process. Diagnosis of precocious puberty is necessarily the prerogative of physicians. 鈥業n a child who shows signs of early pubertal development, an initial paediatric examination should be carried out to highlight any family history, any sudden increases in body weight and height growth rate, the age of onset, as well as the characteristics and speed of progression of the signs of pubertal development鈥�, specifies Prof. Romeo. 鈥楢fter assessment, the child may be sent to a specialised paediatric endocrinology centre for a more in-depth specialist examination, which would include blood tests with hormone dosages鈥攅ven after stimulation with certain drugs鈥�, X-rays to assess bone age, and special ultrasound or radiological investigations based on clinical suspicion鈥�.
Once the diagnosis is certain, the course of treatment will differ depending on the underlying cause. 鈥楾here are drugs that can block the action of the excess puberty hormones produced, thus temporarily halting the progression of the child’s pubertal development鈥�, Romeo continues. In rare cases of precocious puberty related to tumour diseases, surgery must be performed鈥�. In less severe cases, when puberty is only anticipated and has a very slow development, the child only has to undergo endocrinological follow-ups without the need for drugs.
However, beyond the organic and hormonal problems, there can be serious psychological repercussions for children who feel and see themselves as different from their peers. 鈥業n this regard, it is important to sensitise and train parents in the early sexual and affective education of children. This education must, nonetheless, be endorsed by the school鈥�, Prof. Romeo concludes. 鈥楨arly diagnosis helps to better manage and overcome this condition, but psychological support must continue even after completion of physical development鈥�.