Pediatricians are expressing concern over the development of breasts in girls under the age of seven, stating that this is abnormal and requires medical evaluation. They consider the early appearance of physical and hormonal signs of puberty before the age of eight to be abnormal.

The Mayo Clinic defines precocious puberty as a condition where a child’s body starts to change into that of an adult too early, typically before the age of eight in girls and before the age of nine in boys. The specialists in child health have identified various causes of early puberty, including brain tumors, ovarian tumors, hormonal imbalance, enzyme deficiency, and obesity.

This early onset of puberty can lead to emotional distress for girls as they face challenges such as the early appearance of breasts and menstruation. Pediatricians recommend that parents seek medical advice if they observe signs of abnormal puberty in their children and that a pediatric endocrinologist evaluate the child to determine any concerns.

Dr. Elizabeth Oyenusi, a Pediatric Endocrinologist at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, discussed early puberty in girls, treatment options, and how parents can address the issue.

According to the President of the African Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology, a girl developing breasts before the age of eight is not a usual occurrence. The specialist advises that in such cases, it is necessary for the child to be examined and evaluated by a specialist in pediatric care.

She stated , “Any pubertal development, meaning breast development, pubic hair development, or axillary hair development before the age of eight years in a girl is abnormal. It is precocious puberty.

“So apart from the development of breasts, the development of pubic hair, the development of axillary hair, and also having adult body odour and body shape, are some of the things you can see. It is not normal.

“The things that can cause it are varied. There is one called idiopathic, you may not be able to find any cause. That one most times, it may run in families.”

Oyenusi, a senior lecturer at the Department of Paediatrics in the Faculty of Clinical Sciences at the University of Lagos, also identified additional factors contributing to early puberty, which she emphasized as being more concerning.

She restated , “Things like having a tumour in the brain, in the ovary, or in the adrenal gland. All these things can cause a child to start developing earlier than normal.

“And so, if a child gets breast or any of that pubertal development before the age of eight, then you are required to see a doctor, specifically, a paediatric endocrinologist.

“Sometimes, when they are around seven years old and you check them out, it may just be that they are starting earlier and there is no other problem.

“But because there are many other problems, which if you don’t solve, can cause that, it means that you must investigate the child.”

Additionally, she noted that premature puberty could lead to psychological distress in children and affect their adult height by potentially causing them to be shorter in stature.

Early puberty can result in a child experiencing physical and emotional changes earlier than their peers, potentially leading to feelings of self-consciousness, embarrassment, or teasing by other children, according to experts.

In addition to tumors, Oyenusi highlighted genetic conditions like enzyme deficiencies and hormonal imbalances as potential causes of early puberty in children.

She pointed out that recent studies have shown a trend of children developing breasts at an earlier age compared to a decade or two ago when breast development typically began around age 10.

“But recently, studies that were done in Lagos like four years ago showed that they are developing much earlier because they are overweight. When a child is overweight, it can also drive puberty, it can make a child go into puberty early,” she restated.

When discussing the management and treatment of early puberty, Oyenusi expressed that efforts should be focused on controlling the condition to prevent potential health risks.

“If we see a child that has precocious puberty and we investigate, if there is a life-threatening cause, it has to be treated. But if it is just that they are starting too early and they can’t handle the progression, we stop puberty by giving them puberty-blocking drugs.

“When parents notice abnormal puberty signs in their children, they should go and see the doctor. The child must be seen and evaluated by a paediatric endocrinologist who decides whether there is nothing to worry about or there is.”

She recommended that parents have their children who experience early puberty evaluated and treated.

The article published in 2023 titled , “Analysis of risk factors of precocious puberty in children,” published in BMC Pediatrics, discusses the rising incidence of precocious puberty in children in recent years.

BMC Pediatrics is a peer-reviewed journal that covers a wide range of health care topics for neonates, children, and adolescents.

“Precocious puberty in children will lead to increased hormone secretion, which will affect their psychology, height, nervous system tumours, etc., seriously endangering children’s physical and mental health, and may also advance the time of bone maturity in children, resulting in short adult height.

“And may increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and infertility in adulthood”, the authors stated.

Dr. Brittany Allen, a specialist in paediatrics and a member of the American Academy of Paediatrics, shared on healthychildren.org, the academy’s parenting website, that puberty often starts earlier than many parents realize, especially in girls, with the initial sign typically being breast development. She suggested that parents should educate themselves on these changes and initiate conversations with their daughters early on to help them navigate this stage.

Dr. Rotimi Adesanya, another consultant paediatrician, highlighted that the average age for girls to experience puberty is 11, emphasizing that early puberty is becoming more common due to factors like obesity and a lack of physical activity.

Nowadays, children prefer playing computer or smartphone games over outdoor exercise, according to the expert mentioned. This sedentary lifestyle, coupled with poor eating habits, has resulted in increased obesity rates and early-onset puberty.

Adesanya stated , “These days, some of them show those signs at age eight. Obesity has strong links with precocious puberty and what favours it is the diet and sedentary lifestyle.

“Children no longer do exercises; they don’t trek to their school the way we did back then, which helped us to burn fat from our body. So, that is one major cause of early puberty.”

He recommended that parents avoid giving their children unhealthy foods high in fat and sugar, and instead encourage them to be physically active on a regular basis.