There exists a multitude of myths and misunderstandings surrounding the growth in height of girls who experience early menstruation, causing significant concern among parents.

While the onset of puberty varies among girls and is heavily influenced by genetics, pediatricians assert that most girls will cease growing in height approximately two and a half years after their first menstrual cycle.

Experts in child health point out that a girl’s most substantial growth spurt generally occurs right before she begins menstruating.

They clarify that while a girl may experience some further growth post-menstruation, her primary period of rapid growth concludes prior to her first period.

Menarche, the commencement of menstruation, typically occurs around the age of 12 on average, marking a pivotal moment in girls’ pubertal development as it signals the beginning of reproductive capability.

Pediatric endocrinologists specify that, typically, a girl’s initial period follows two years after the onset of breast development.

They further explain that if breast development initiates earlier, menstruation may also commence earlier, and conversely, delayed breast development could lead to a later onset of menstruation.

The United Nations Children’s Fund underscores that menstruation is a natural and healthy aspect of life for most women, noting that, on average, women menstruate for approximately seven years throughout their lifetime.

UNICEF asserts that a lack of education regarding menstruation perpetuates detrimental misconceptions and bias, resulting in girls potentially missing out on regular childhood experiences and engagements.

“Stigma, taboos, and myths prevent adolescent girls — and boys — from the opportunity to learn about menstruation and develop healthy habits.

“The first period can be met with either celebration, fear, or concern. For every girl, this signifies an important transition to womanhood – a time when they would benefit from the support of family and friends”, the international organisation states.

According to Paediatric Endocrinologists, the timing of a girl’s first period can vary greatly, and is determined by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Professor Abiola Oduwole, an expert in Paediatric Endocrinology at the University of Lagos, warned that early menstruation can potentially impact a girl’s growth and development.

The Head of Paediatrics at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, stated,

said, “Every girl child will go through puberty usually between the age of 10 and 11. Some a little bit earlier than nine years is still normal.

“Now, when you enter puberty, your body begins to change and prepare to be an adult. So, if you start developing breasts now, some hair in the armpit, some in the private parts, by another two and half years, you will start to see your period.

“When you see your period, the hormones that are being produced will also affect the growth plates in your joints. This is where we grow taller. Those growth plates are called epiphyses; they will cease and close up.”

The specialist explained that the closing of the growth plates (epiphyses) in long bones is a natural part of the body’s development process. These growth plates, located at the joints, are responsible for bone growth and development.

“One and half years after you have seen your menses, your joints will close up and you can’t grow taller again. So, the earlier you see your period, whatever height you are at that time, you will just grow some little inches more and within one and half years, your epiphyses will close. You will not be able to grow more.

“That is why some girls who see their periods between the ages of 14 and 15 grow much taller because they still have two years more to grow after seeing their menses.

“But if you have a child with precocious puberty – that is earlier than it should be, and the child starts seeing her menses at the age of five; by the time the child is seven, the epiphyses will close. And a child that the epiphyses close by seven will be short.

“So children who see their periods at a very early age will not be tall. That is what happens,” she elaborated.

Mayo Clinic explains that precocious puberty, also known as premature puberty, is when a child’s body starts to develop into that of an adult too early.

This usually occurs before the age of eight in girls and before the age of nine in boys. Oduwole mentioned that early menstruation can be caused by environmental factors like increased body fat, high BMI, and sugar-sweetened beverages, as well as genetic factors.

She recommended health education to prevent early menstruation by reducing fructose consumption found in sugary drinks. Parents were advised to avoid feeding their children foods that lead to obesity.

Another Pediatric Endocrinologist at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Elizabeth Oyenusi, emphasized the importance of evaluating girls with early breast development and stated that it is abnormal for girls to develop breasts before age eight, which can precede menstruation.

“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 may run in families.”

Dr. Oyenusi, a senior lecturer in Pediatrics at the University of Lagos, identified additional causes of early puberty, which she considered more alarming and potentially harmful.

She noted, “Things like having a tumour in the brain, in the ovary, or 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.”

Dr. Oyenusi warned that early puberty can have serious consequences, including psychological distress, shorter adult stature, and emotional challenges. Children experiencing early puberty may feel self-conscious, embarrassed, or teased by their peers due to rapid physical and emotional changes.

Additionally, Dr. Oyenusi noted that certain genetic conditions, such as tumors, enzyme deficiencies, and hormonal imbalances, can also trigger early puberty, highlighting the importance of medical evaluation to determine the underlying cause.

On how early puberty could be managed and treated, Oyenusi stated, “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 urge parents to ensure that their children who go into puberty too early are evaluated and treated.

In a 2023 article published in BMC Paediatrics, titled, “Analysis of risk factors of precocious puberty in children”,

Recent studies have shown a yearly increase in cases of precocious puberty in children, and the open-access journal BMC Pediatrics publishes peer-reviewed research on various aspects of child healthcare, including this condition .

“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”, the authors mentioned.