An Update on Female Puberty

2006 ◽  
Vol 00 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph S Sanfilippo
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Breast Development ◽  
African American Girls ◽  
White American ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
White Girls ◽  
Hair Development ◽  
Axillary Hair

Puberty is best defined at the period of life during which one acquires reproductive capabilities. As a female transitions from childhood to adulthood, one witnesses a significant reactivation of the hypothalamicpituitary- ovarian (HPO) axis; this axis is functional in utero.The hallmarks of pubertal development include:All this may take three to five years for completion.The American Academy of Pediatrics Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) Study has provided the latest information regarding age of onset of specific pubertal milestones. PROS focused on breast development— thelarche (an early sign of the onset of puberty) occurs in African-American girls at 8.87 years and in white American girls at 9.96 years of age; the onset of pubic and axillary hair development, i.e. pubarche, occurs in African-American girls at 8.78 years and in white girls at 10.51 years of age.1,2Additional information is detailed inTable 1.

Psychological Effects of Precocious and Delayed Puberty

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura M. Derose ◽  
Julia A. Graber
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Breast Development ◽  
Delayed Puberty ◽  
Sex Characteristics ◽  
African American Girls ◽  
Pubertal Onset ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Hair Development

The timing of pubertal onset is marked by substantial variability within the range of normative development. Pubertal onset has mainly been measured by appearance of secondary sex characteristics—pubic hair development across sexes, and breast development in girls and testicular development in boys. This chapter provides statistics for the average age of pubertal onset, including findings for how average age differs by race. The two major types of pubertal disorders, precocious puberty and delayed puberty, are described, with a brief synopsis of the possible causes (for a comprehensive review of medical causes, see Grumbach and Styne 2003). The major focus of the chapter is on the psychological and behavioral consequences of precocious and delayed puberty. Although the majority of research on this topic has included nonclinical samples (onset or delay of puberty nearing 2 standard deviations [SD] from the mean), findings would be applicable to children who exhibit clinical precocious or delayed puberty (onset or delay of puberty >2 SDs from the mean). Finally, the chapter reviews the clinical practices for “treating” puberty that is normative by pediatric standards. Breast budding is generally the first sexual characteristic to appear in females, and is most commonly classified by Marshall and Tanner’s (1969) five stages of development. Breast development begins in the United States between ages 8 and 13, with a mean age of 9.96 for Caucasian girls and a mean age of 8.87 for African American girls (Herman-Giddens et al. 1997). Pubic hair development typically begins shortly after breast budding; however approximately 20 percent of girls experience pubic hair development prior to breast budding (Brooks-Gunn and Reiter 1990). Pubic hair development also begins between the ages of 8 and 13 years, with a mean age 10.5 years in Caucasian girls and 8.8 years for African American girls (Herman-Giddens et al. 1997). Menarche is a late sign of pubertal development in girls and occurs following the peak in height velocity and during the rapid increase in weight and body fat (Tanner 1978). The mean age of menarche in North America is 12.88 years for Caucasian girls and 12.16 years for African American girls (Herman-Giddens et al. 1997).

Abstract 037: The Association of Early Menarche and Changes in LDL-C During Adolescence for African-American and White Girls

Circulation ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 127 (suppl_12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill G Dreyfus ◽  
David R Jacobs ◽  
Ellen W Demerath
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
The United States ◽  
Late Adolescence ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Age At Menarche ◽  
Quadratic Term ◽  
Early Menarche ◽  
White Girls

Introduction: LDL cholesterol transiently decreases during puberty, and then increases again in late adolescence. However, the association of earlier pubertal development and LDL-C changes among adolescents is not well established, especially among African-American girls. Objective: To examine race-specific associations of early menarche and change in LDL-C during adolescence. Methods: The National Growth and Health Study (NGHS) was a 10-year prospective study of 2,379 girls, aged 9-10 at baseline, from four areas of the United States. Girls with missing age at menarche (n=22) or clinic (n=1) information were excluded from analyses. We used mixed effects regression models to test the association of early menarche, defined as less than median age at menarche for race in NHANES III (<12.1 for African-American, and <12.6 years for white girls) and serial measures of LDL-C, adjusted for age, study center, parental education, and percent body fat at each visit. Time was defined as follow-up year 1 (mean age 10) through year 10 (mean age 19), and included as a quadratic term in all models. Results: The analytic sample included 2,356 girls (1,200 African-American; 1,156 white). Early (vs. later) menarche (-1.90 mg/dl, p=0.05) and African American race (-1.72 mg/dl, p =0.08) were associated with lower average LDL-C over the 10-year time period. LDL-C increased less during late adolescence in African-American than in white girls (β race*time 2 = -0.11 mg/dl; p-interaction=0.01), and further, the relationship of menarche to the shape of the LDL-C curve differed by race, as indicated by different quadratic time terms (race*menarche*time 2 ; p-interaction=0.02). Conclusion: LDL-C was lower among girls with early vs. later menarche during adolescence. By late adolescence, white girls with early menarche tended to experience faster gains in LDL-C compared with later maturing white girls. Additional research is needed to determine if this pattern continues into adulthood.

Normal puberty and its disorders

2020 ◽  
pp. 2428-2435
Author(s):  
Fiona Ryan ◽  
Sejal Patel
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Assessment ◽  
Significant Variation ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Breast Development ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
Clinical Presentations ◽  
Sexual Characteristics ◽  
Hair Development ◽  
Axillary Hair ◽  
Development Proceeds

Puberty is the physiological sequence of events when secondary sexual characteristics develop, reproductive capacity is achieved, and final adult stature reached. The outward signs usually develop over 3 to 5 years, with significant variation both in the age that puberty starts and the pace at which development proceeds. The events that lead to the triggering of puberty remain uncertain, but clinical presentations may arise because the process is abnormally early (precocious puberty) or abnormally late (delayed or absent puberty). Several variants of the normal processes may also present for clinical assessment, for example, premature isolated thelarche (breast development) or adrenarche (pubic and axillary hair development), which do not require treatment.

scholarly journals Puberty Onset among Boys in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. CMPed.S4610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Al Alwan ◽  
Naila Felimban ◽  
Yasmin Altwaijri ◽  
Hani Tamim ◽  
Angham Al Mutair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Gonadal Development ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Hair Development

Background The ages of onset of pubertal characteristics are influenced by genetic, geographic, dietary and socioeconomic factors; however, due to lack of country-specific norms, clinicians in Saudi Arabia use Western estimates as standards of reference for local children. Aims The aim of the Riyadh Puberty Study was to provide data on pubertal development to determine the average age of onset of pubertal characteristics among Saudi boys. Methods Cross-sectional study among male school children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2006, 542 schoolboys, aged 6 to 16 years old, from diverse socioeconomic levels were selected into the sample using a cluster sample design. Tanner stages were ascertained during physical examination by pediatric endocrine consultants, and also trained pediatric residents and fellows. Results The mean age (standard deviation) at Tanner Stages 2, 3, 4, and 5 for pubic hair development of Saudi boys was 11.4 (1.6), 13.3 (1.3), 14.4 (1.0) and 15.1 (0.8) years old, respectively. For gonadal development, the mean age (standard deviation) at stages 2, 3, 4, and 5 were 11.4 (1.5), 13.3 (1.2), 14.3 (1.1) and 15.0 (0.9) years old, respectively. Conclusion The ages of onset of pubertal characteristics, based on gonadal development, among Saudi boys are comparable to those reported in Western populations.

Infection and pubertal timing: a systematic review

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 636-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. McDonald ◽  
S. M. Eng ◽  
O. O. Dina ◽  
C. M. Schooling ◽  
M. B. Terry
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Adjustment ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Pubertal Timing ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Breast Development ◽  
Age At Menarche ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Hair Development

The decline in age of pubertal timing has serious public health implications ranging from psychosocial adjustment problems to a possible increase in reproductive cancers. One biologically plausible explanation for the decline is a decrease in exposures to infections. To systematically review studies that assess the role of infection in pubertal timing, Medline, Web of Science and EMBASE were systematically searched and retrieved studies were reviewed for eligibility. Eligible studies examined the association between infections, including microbial exposures, and physical pubertal characteristics (breast, genitalia and pubic hair development) or age at menarche. We excluded studies that were published in a language other than English, focused on precocious puberty, were case studies, and/or included youth with autoimmune diseases. We report on study design, population characteristics, measurement of infection and puberty and the main effects of infection on pubertal development. Based on our search terms we identified 1372 unique articles, of which only 15 human and five animal studies met our eligibility criteria. Not all studies examined all outcomes. Infection was associated with later breast development (4/4 human studies), with less consistent evidence for genitalia and pubic hair development. Seven studies assessed age at menarche with inconsistent findings (three supporting later, four no association). We conclude that a small but consistent literature supports that infection is associated with later breast development; the evidence for other pubertal events and age at menarche is less clear. Where fewer childhood infections coincide with the rise in incidence of hormone-related cancers.

scholarly journals Precocious Puberty – A Case Report

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-112
Author(s):  
Poly Begum ◽  
Dipti Rani Saha ◽  
Md Kamrul Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Precocious Puberty ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Tanner Stage ◽  
Central Precocious Puberty ◽  
Female Child ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Breast Development ◽  
Average Height ◽  
Hypothalamic Pituitary Axis ◽  
Hair Development

The parents of a 04-year-old girl bring her to a Gynaecologist because of breast development, appearance of pubic hair and periodic per vaginal bleeding. Her medical history is unremarkable. The parents are of average height, and the mother reports first menstruating when she was 11 years old. At physical examination, the girl is 100 cm tall , weighs 17 kg, and has a bodymass index of 17. Her pubertal development is classified as Tanner stage 3 breast development and Tanner stage 2 pubic hair development. She was diagnosed as a case of precocious puberity. Appearance of secondary sexual development before the age of 9 in a male child and before the age of 8 in a female child is called precocious puberty. When the cause of precocious puberty is premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, it is called central or complete precocious puberty and she was a case of central precocious puberty. After proper consult she was treated by GnRHa suppressor of pituitary till 11 years of age.Bangladesh J Obstet Gynaecol, 2015; Vol. 30(2) : 109-112

scholarly journals School-Related Barriers that might be Impeding Academic Success for African American Girls

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Ethnic Discrimination ◽  
African American Girls ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
White Girls ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
School Records

This study explored African American girls’ perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and teachers’ perceptions to understand the unique impact of each on educational outcomes for African American girls compared to girls from other racial/ethnic groups. The sample included 2,384 7th grade girls. In this multi-informant study, girls completed a survey that included ratings of perceived teacher discrimination, teachers rated the girls on academic engagement and antisocial behavior, and end-of-the-year GPA for each girl was gathered from school records data. One-way ANOVA revealed a main effect of race/ethnicity, such that African American girls reported higher levels of racial/ethnic discrimination, had a lower GPA, and were rated by their teachers as less engaged and more anti-social compared to Asian, Latinx, and white girls. Regression analysis revealed that, compared to white and Asian girls, low teacher perceived engagement was related to lower achievement for African American girls. These results highlight the need to analyze the educational experiences that African American girls are facing.

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