| What Is Delayed Puberty? |
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Puberty is the time when your body grows from a child's to an adult's. You'll know that you are going through puberty by the way that your body changes. If you're a girl, you'll notice that your breasts develop and your pubic hair grows, that you have a growth spurt, and that you get your period (menstruation). The overall shape of your body will probably change, too - your hips will widen and your body will become curvier. If you're a guy, you'll start growing pubic and facial hair, have a growth spurt, and your testicles and penis will get larger. Your body shape will also begin to change - your shoulders will widen and your body will become more muscular. These changes are caused by the sex hormones (testosterone in boys and estrogen in girls) that your body begins producing in much larger amounts than before. Puberty takes place over a number of years, and the age at which it starts and ends varies widely. It generally begins somewhere between the ages of 7 and 13 for girls, and somewhere between the ages of 9 and 15 for boys, although it can be earlier or later for some people. This wide range in age is normal, and it's why you may develop several years earlier (or later) than most of your friends. Sometimes, however, teens pass this normal age range for puberty without showing any signs of body changes. This is called delayed puberty.
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| What Causes Delayed Puberty? |
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There are several reasons why puberty may be delayed. Most often, it's simply a pattern of growth and development in a family; a guy or girl may find that his or her parent, uncle, aunt, brothers, sisters, or cousins developed later than usual, too. This is called constitutional delay (or being a late bloomer), and it usually doesn't require any kind of treatment. These teens will eventually develop normally, just later than most of their peers. Medical Problems Medical problems can also cause delays in puberty. Some people with chronic illnesses like diabetes, cystic fibrosis, kidney disease, or even asthma may go through puberty at an older age because their illnesses can make it harder for their bodies to grow and develop. Proper treatment and better control of many of these conditions can help make delayed puberty less likely to occur. Poor nutrition and weight A person who's malnourished- without enough food to eat or without the proper nutrients - may also develop later than peers who eat a healthy, balanced diet. Girls who are extremely active in sports may also be late developers because their level of exercise keeps them so lean. Endocrine problems Delayed puberty can also occur because of problems in the pituitary or thyroid glands, which produce hormones that are important for sexual developments Genetic problems Abnormalities in the chromosomes (which contain the body's construction plans) can interfere with normal growth and production of hormones responsible for puberty. Turner syndrome Turner
syndrome occurs when one of a female's two X chromosomes is abnormal
or missing. This causes problems with growth and with the development
of the ovaries and production of sex hormones. Women who have untreated
Turner syndrome are shorter in height than normal, are infertile, and
may have other medical problems. Management of delayed puberty: Management
of delayed puberty depends on the underlying cause. Systemic diseases
need to be treated. If the child is unable to produce the hormones necessary
for pubertal development, hormone replacement therapy needs to be given. |