Early Pubertal Changes: When to Worry and When to Watch?

Did you know that the average age of puberty onset in girls has been declining for decades, and that early puberty can have lasting psychological, social, and physical consequences? Roshni Patel, a fourth-year medical student at the Medical College of Georgia, and Bianca Forte, WHNP, a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner with a specialty in Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology at Wellstar MCG Health, to discuss the recognition, evaluation, and management of precocious puberty in girls. Specifically, they will:

• Review the normal pubertal timeline and define precocious puberty in females
• Distinguish between premature thelarche, premature adrenarche, and precocious puberty through history and physical exam findings
• Discuss the initial diagnostic workup, including bone age studies, hormone levels, and the GnRH stimulation test
• Differentiate central precocious puberty from peripheral precocious puberty and outline appropriate management for each
• Address the mental health impact of early puberty and how to support young patients during the clinical encounter
• Identify when to refer patients to Pediatric Endocrinology or Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology

Special thanks to Dr. Rebecca Yang and Dr. Sarah Straka for peer reviewing this episode

Free CME Available: Link Coming Soon!

References:

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