Precocious puberty overview
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Precocious puberty (Latin - pubertas praecox) is an unusually early onset of puberty, the process of sexual maturation that is triggered by the brain which usually begins in late childhood and results in reproductive maturity and completion of growth (Early puberty onset in children before the ages of 8 in girls and 9 in boys). Characteristics include early isolated pubic hair growth and early growth of female glandular tissue. Early puberty may be a variation of normal development, or may be a result of a disease or abnormal hormone exposure. In some contexts, the term is used more broadly to describe the early appearance of any of the physical features of puberty even if the complete, brain-directed process is not occurring.