What parents need to know about early puberty

A small percentage of children experience early puberty, or precocious puberty, which indicates more than one sign of sexual maturity happening earlier than age 8 in a girl and age 9 in a boy. One telltale sign of puberty is when children have a noticeable growth spurt. If this happens early, “you’re at risk for not getting as tall as would be expected,” said Fadiyla Dopwell, M.D., developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Developmental Pediatrix^® in Dallas. “Since you started puberty sooner, you’ll also stop growing sooner,” she explained. While precocious puberty is rare, its more common nowadays, and any red flags can be addressed with the child’s doctor. “The pediatrician will determine if they need to monitor their growth and determine if endocrinology or therapy needs to be provided to grow appropriately,” said Dr. Dopwell.

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