Precocious puberty: An overview and management

Abstract

Precocious puberty (PP) is defined by means of the inception of secondary sexual traits earlier the age of eight years in girls and nine years in boys. Precocious puberty may be particularly categorized as central precocious puberty (CPP) and peripheral precocious puberty (PPP) as per the activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. CPP is 5 to 10 times more recurrent in girls. The early maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is specifically due to diet-related factors and endocrine disruptors. Excessive consumption of processed, high-energy and high-fat food can lead to obesity and PP. Nutritional status is considered as one of the most important factors modulating pubertal development. In later life, precocious puberty increases the risk of several diseases such as breast cancer, CVD, diabetes, PCOD etc. PP is diagnosed through physical examination and several biochemical tests. A healthy diet and lifestyle can be proposed as preventive measures for PP. Maintaining physical and mental health, as well as a safe environment is not only beneficial for children not only at adolescence, but also for whole life health.