Puberty is known to be a time of great changes, both on a mental and a physical plan of a young person. Basically, it is considered to be a time of transition from childhood to stages of a very early adulthood. Thus, most children who undergo puberty experience changes which make them capable of being sexually active and productive.
Yet, in some cases, the puberty can take place earlier than expected. This early puberty is known as precocious puberty and is usually not a good sign since it is triggered by various health imbalances and problems.
Early Age of Puberty
Many children who enter the stage of puberty earlier than expected experience this due to normal biological variations. In their case, this transition is not a dangerous one and they manage to go through this period without health problems or any other complications. However, the same changes caused by the early puberty can be triggered by brain tumors or some other diseases, making this condition less benign.
Additionally, one should keep in mind that, even though these changes do not necessarily bring health problems, they commonly cause behavioral and psychological issues, potentially reducing one's height development potential or triggering health issues in the future.
All in all, once puberty appears before the age of 8 in girls or the age of 9 in boys, it is considered to be precocious or early.
There are many dangerous scenarios related to early onset of puberty. It is a state known to lead to early maturation of bones and the onset of height reduction. Alternatively, the early puberty may be taking place due to the presence of some kind of a tumor somewhere in the organism of the affected person. Finally, the individual who enters puberty prematurely may be exposed to sexual interest before the adequate time for this comes.
This last mentioned factor is known to be a common subject of worry, since girls in precocious puberty are more likely to get sexually abused, or get exposed to teasing or bullying in school due to the size of their breasts. The short stature of boys, in this case, can also be a subject of peer ridicule, leaving consequences on the mental health of a person.
Moreover, boys who enter puberty earlier than others may show signs of aggressiveness due to the increased amounts of hormones produced in their body. Also, they might appear to look older than their peers, possibly facing rejection or conforming to adult norms before this is expected of them. Of course, these boys are more likely to indulge in sexual intercourses early, or take place in risky behaviors at an early age.
Effects in Life from Precocious Puberty
According to a recent study carried out by Reuters Health, girls who enter puberty earlier than their peers do not face any more problems than all other children of their age. Nevertheless, some other scientific researchers have found out that these girls are more prone to being depressed than other girls of the same age.
Yet, we cannot possibly neglect the fact that early puberty can lead to certain lifestyle problems such as early sexual activity, substance abuse, involvement into criminal activities and clashes with authority figures.
In most cases, girls who experience problems related to their early sexual maturation, usually overcome these during their adult lives, achieving balance. In fact, children who enter puberty earlier, end it earlier, usually once their peers start losing control over their behavior. Thus, the situation is more or less the same, since the whole puberty lasts for the same amount of time, with a different onset.
In general, both boys and girls may enter a period of depression once the early puberty starts or face some behavioral problems later in life. However, even though early-matures may face depression early, they usually end up being just fine as adults.
The children who enter the stage of precocious puberty undergo certain bodily changes which separate them from their peers. For example, boys experience the growth of underarm and facial hair, as well as an increase in body mass and overall strength, along with an increase in their height and weight. At the same time, girls in the same period of life are likely to experience the widening of their pelvis and the growth of their breasts.
So, these changes may be the reason behind behavioral and relationship problems these children may face, taking into consideration that not many of their peers will be undergoing this sort of physical and biological advancement at such an early age.
To sum up, precocious puberty can lead to many changes in a life of a young boy/girl. Basically, this puberty takes place prematurely, triggering sexual maturity at an early age. Yet, according to various researches, even though this early onset of puberty may increase problems these children may face, they usually overcome them just fine and balance their life completely over the course of adulthood.
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