Treatment of precocious puberty

  Precocious puberty in children refers to the significant advancement of the age of onset of sexual development in children, which usually refers to the age at which the first features of sexual characteristics appear in both boys and girls (such as breast development in girls and enlargement of external genitalia in boys) more than two standard deviations earlier than the average age of normal children, and is called precocious puberty in children. It is still widely accepted worldwide that girls who show secondary sexual characteristics before the age of 8 and boys before the age of 9 can be clinically judged as having precocious puberty.  Not all cases of precocious puberty need to be treated. The indications that do not need treatment are: (1) slow sexual maturation (bone age does not progress beyond the age of progression) and no significant impact on adult height.  (2) Although the bone age is advanced, the height growth rate is also fast, and the predicted adult height is not impaired. Because pubertal development is a dynamic process, the above indicators need to be dynamically observed for each individual. For those who do not need treatment for the time being, regular review and evaluation are needed to adjust the treatment plan.  GnRH analogs (GnRHa) are the main treatment options, and currently the most commonly used formulations are the extended-release formulations of treprostinil and leuprolide.  The vast majority of precocious puberty can be cured, but early detection and timely treatment are very important. With early detection and timely treatment, patients with precocious puberty can achieve a normal psychological state and desired adult height, and the earlier the treatment, the better the results. How to detect precocious puberty in children as early as possible? In addition to observing whether the child has premature secondary sexual characteristics in daily life, the sudden acceleration of height growth before the age of 10 is often a sign of precocious puberty, and parents should not be blindly optimistic at this time.  If you suspect that your child has a problem in this area, parents should promptly take your child to the hospital for consultation and medical attention so as not to miss the best time for treatment. If a girl waits until her period starts, or a boy waits until he has a change of voice, laryngeal nodes, or acne to start treatment, it will be too late to improve his height.