Puberty: Early, late or right on time?
Puberty, the life-stage when girls and boys grow in their height, weight and sexual characteristics, is one of the most amazing events that the human body goes through. But how do you know things are progressing appropriately?
One of my patients is unhappy with the timing of her puberty. She is a 12-year-old girl who recently got her first menstrual period. She is feeling overwhelmed because she sometimes has them more than once a month.
Another one of my patients is also unhappy with the timing of her puberty. She is a 14-year-old girl who feels as though every other girl in the world has gotten her menstrual period except for her.
What are the usual signs and stages of puberty?
In girls:
First, breast buds begin to develop
Pubic hair starts
Height spurt (earlier in girls than in boys, which is why many 12-year-old girls tower over boys their own age!)
Weight spurt
Menstrual periods start
In boys:
First, testicles start to grow
Pubic hair starts
Height spurt and weight spurt
Strength spurt
What's the "normal" age for starting puberty? In fact, there is a lot of variation in the timing of puberty. A child's development follows his or her own "biological clock." I could see differences between my own two sons: my younger son was taller at age 14 than my older son was at that age. Pediatricians check a girl for the onset of breast buds and measure a boy's testicular size to determine if puberty has started. Throughout puberty, we continue to measure further breast stages, testicular volume, amount of hair and its distribution, centimeters of growth per year … you name it, we measure it!
Most girls start puberty between the ages of 9 and 12. The first sign of puberty in girls is usually the development of breast buds. After a few years (average age 12½) her menstrual periods will start.
Most boys start puberty between the ages of 10 and 13. The first sign of puberty in boys is usually growth in the volume of the testicles.
My advice:
As a parent, prepare yourself for puberty's arrival. The changes of puberty happen fast and furious so make sure to keep your refrigerator stocked.
Although there is a lot of variation in the timing of puberty, it is important for the sequence of events to happen in order. If an event occurs too early, too late, or stalls, it may be a sign of a medical problem. One of the reasons that teenagers need to go to their doctors at least once a year is so that their doctors can measure all the things that they measure.
When talking with our teenagers, it is also important to remember that their emotional and cognitive levels of development may not "match" their physical development yet … so proceed with caution.
As a parent, what have you observed about the timing of puberty in your kids? As a teen, what has puberty been like for you?