Answers to 7 frequently asked questions about puberty in children

When you enter puberty, the psychological changes make your baby extremely worried. Babies begin to have early vibrations or feelings with their opposite sex. So how should parents take care of their children during puberty?

The period of children entering puberty is considered a big turning point. Let's join aFamilyToday Health to learn about puberty and what parents should pay attention to!

1. What is puberty?

Puberty is the time when babies develop to a certain point and begin to mature sexually. The characteristics of puberty are the physiological changes in the body, perfecting fertility and secondary sexual characteristics (signs of maturity, such as pubic hair growth).

The time to start puberty varies from person to person. Puberty in women is usually between the ages of 10 and 14, while in boys it is between 12 and 16 years old. Today, women often start puberty earlier than before, often due to environmental and nutritional influences.

2. What causes puberty?

Puberty is the body's natural process of sexual maturity. In the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) that initiates puberty. GnRH stimulates the pituitary gland, a small pea-shaped organ that connects to the bottom of the hypothalamus, to produce two hormones: the luteum-stimulating hormone (LH) and the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). These two hormones help prompt the male and female sex organs (the testicles and ovaries) to start producing the right sex hormones, including estrogen and testosterone, which trigger other signs of puberty in the muscles. can.

3. What are the signs when your baby reaches puberty?

Signs of puberty in women

The first characteristic of puberty in girls is that the breasts begin to develop. The nipples are large and soft, and one breast begins to develop a few months before the other. Pubic hair begins to appear with hair on the legs and arms.

After 1 year or when puberty begins and for several years, the signs of puberty in women are:

The breasts continue to grow and become fuller

Menstruation first appears in about two years after the first sign of puberty begins

Pubic hair becomes coarser and curly

Armpit hair begins to grow. Some girls also have hairs in other body parts, such as the mustache, which is perfectly normal.

Sweat a lot

Many girls often get acne - a skin disease where different types of acne appear on the face including whiteheads, blackheads, and pustules. Want to know how to treat acne in puberty, you can refer to the article of aFamilyToday Health here .

The vagina has a white discharge

Strong body development. From the beginning of puberty, girls grow 5 - 7.5 cm over the next year or two, then reach adulthood.

The body gains weight, changes the body shape. Female bodies often have a lot of fat along the upper arms, thighs and upper back; Hips round and waist gradually narrowed.

After about 4 years of puberty, a baby girl will have the following signs: fully developed breasts, pubic hair can spread to the inner thighs, fully developed genitals, stop growing in height. One common condition during puberty is stretch marks. To help children cope with puberty stretch marks, please refer to the article Mom needs to know how to prevent your child from stretching during puberty .

Signs of puberty in men

The first sign of a boy entering puberty is usually that the testicles are larger than before, and the scrotum begins to thin and red. Pubic hair also begins to appear at the base of the penis.

After a year when the first signs of puberty begin and over the next few years, a baby will have the following signs:

Penis and testicles develop, the scrotum gradually becomes darker

Pubic hair becomes thicker and curly

Armpit hair begins to grow

Start to sweat a lot

The breast may be slightly swollen temporarily, which is normal and is not the same as large breasts in men

Uncontrolled ejaculation while sleeping

Voice "broken" and deeper. Boys will experience a rapid change in their voice over a period of time

Acne appears

The body grows strongly, the average height increases 7-8cm a year and the muscles grow.

After about four years into puberty, boys will have the following signs: The genitals mature as adults and pubic hair has spread to the inside of the thighs, the beard begins to develop, the height develops slowly. Gradually and completely ceasing to develop by around 16 years of age (but muscles continue to grow), most men will fully mature by the age of 18.

For some children, puberty is a difficult time when dealing with changes in the body, but it is a time for children to become self-aware. But for some other children, puberty is an exciting time, when children develop many new emotions and feelings. However, sudden emotional changes can have psychological and emotional effects, such as: Unexplained mood swings, low self-esteem, aggression, depression, so parents need it attention to children.

4. What factors influence puberty?

Puberty early

There are many factors that increase the risk of early puberty, such as:

Gender: Girls are more likely to get into puberty earlier than boys

Race: African-American children puberty earlier than children of other races

Obesity: If your baby is overweight, he or she has a higher risk of early puberty

Sex hormones: exposure to estrogen or testosterone through creams, ointments or other substances containing sex hormones (such as adult medications, diet) may increase the risk of premature puberty in children

Suffering from a number of diseases: Premature puberty can be a complication of McCune-Albright syndrome, also known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia , which is related to the abnormal production of male hormones (androgens). In rare cases, early puberty can also be caused by hypothyroidism

Radiation therapy to the central nervous system: radiation therapy for tumors, leukemia, or similar interventions may increase the risk of premature puberty.

Puberty is late

Both boys and girls experience delayed puberty. Factors that increase your risk of delayed puberty include:

Congenital pituitary abnormality

Genetic mutations

Chromosomal disorders

Decreased sense of smell

Eating disorder

Chronic systemic disease

Malnutrition

Excessive exercise

Suffering from congenital gonadal abnormalities.

5. When should you take your baby to the doctor?

When you notice your baby has the following signs:

Sex and physical development delays, for example not showing signs of puberty despite being 14 years old

Change your eating habits and weight

Body image disorder, such as a girl who thinks she is overweight even though she is very thin. These could be signs of an eating disorder

Signs of mental health such as depression, emotional depression, aggression, reluctance to go to school, stay in class

Using drugs, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

How is early puberty diagnosed?

To determine premature puberty, your pediatrician will examine:

Pubic and breast growth in girls

An increase in the size of the testicles and penis, the development of pubic hair in boys

Your doctor will compare the Tanner score, 5 point scale to measure puberty development in your child. After a complete physical exam and medical history analysis, your doctor may perform the following tests to diagnose early puberty:

Blood tests to check levels of hormones, such as gonadotropins (the corpus luteum-stimulating hormone [LH] and follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH]), estradiol, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and thyroid hormone ;

Gonadotropin-releasing agonist hormone (GnRH) concentration test, to determine if the cause of early puberty is caused by gonadotropin or not;

Measure 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels in the blood to check for congenital adrenal hyperplasia;

An X-ray test measures "bone age" to determine if the bone is growing at a normal rate.

Physicians may also use imaging techniques to rule out tumor cause or other organ abnormalities. Such methods may include:

Ultrasound to check the gonads. Painless ultrasound and visualization of blood vessels and tissues, allows the doctor to monitor organs and blood flow in real time.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans the brain and pituitary gland with a device that projects detailed images of the organs and structures of the body.

How is delayed puberty diagnosed?

To diagnose delayed puberty, your doctor may conduct the following tests:

A blood test to measure hormone levels

The test measures the response of the pituitary gland to GnRH

MRI of the brain and pituitary gland.

Just a phone call or an exam can help you have a better overview of your child's health and recognize the problem your child is facing. This will help relieve tension between you and your baby.

6. Does my child need regular checkups at puberty?

Visit checkup periodically every year is considered an effective way to detect the disorder, and check the level of growth and development of children is normal. Not all children with premature puberty need treatment, especially if the condition is only a little too early. The goal of treatment is to stop sex hormones from producing too early to prevent excessive premature growth leading to small stature in adulthood, emotional changes, social problems, and libido (especially is in boys).

7. How can parents help their children through puberty?

Parenting is a great responsibility and also extremely challenging, especially as your baby enters puberty. Even when your child refuses to approach or talk to you, you still have to fulfill that enormous responsibility. Although it is good to let your child make their own decisions, you should realize the limits between what they need and what they want, fairly and firmly.

To know how to teach your kids about puberty , in addition to being friends with your kids , there are some more ways to go:

Help children build healthy eating habits and image themselves, preparing balanced meals with plenty of fruits, vegetables and healthy foods. Parents should be an example for your children to follow in eating and practicing sports for the whole family to be in good health.

Encourage your child  to exercise moderately  every day

Help your child get enough rest, limit the amount of time he or she uses the phone, computer and television at night

Direct your child to think more mature, participate in building and uphold family rules and talk about current issues

Find different ways to solve the problem, and discuss possible situations.

Also, during puberty, the most important thing is for parents to let their children know that they are always loved and cared for, even if you disagree with what they do, but it's for you. Good for your baby.

Make sex education and the problems of adult children the natural way and the most open, while constantly maintaining it. Better yet, you should start this before puberty, so your baby knows what he should do, what he should avoid. If you can't, see a psychiatrist, a trusted friend or another family member. Do not let private children find out all relevant information from the internet, television or other children.