When you're young you never grow taller.

A fat child could be due to 'precocious puberty

  • -Precocious puberty, resulting in 'growth disorders' due to short stature
  • - Suspect when puberty changes too quickly
  • -growth hormone may be required for final height growth
  • - Healthy habits such as nutrition, exercise, and sleep are important
  • -Reduce exposure to environmental hormones such as disposable containers

Obese children are on the rise. 

There is also a statistic that 1 in 4 of our children is obese (Ministry of Education Student Health Test 2019). The problem is that eight to nine of obese children lead to adult obesity, and many of them, in particular, maybe due to precocious puberty.

Precocious puberty refers to a disease in which puberty begins too early. It is diagnosed when the development progresses more than two years earlier than the age of 8 years old for girls and 9 years old for boys. When precocious puberty appears, the period of exposure to sex hormones is prolonged, menarche is accelerated, and the growth plate is closed quickly, resulting in 'growth disorders' in which the height of an adult is reduced. 

The common saying, “When you are young, you grow taller,” is a myth that is false. Don't go to the 'never' key.

◇Patients increased fivefold in 10 years. Influences such as childhood obesity

According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of children and adolescents receiving treatment for precocious puberty increased nearly fivefold in 10 years from 28,251 in 2010 to 136,334 in 2020. It is analyzed that the cause is that the number of children visiting the hospital has increased due to high interest in growth, and the influence of childhood obesity and environmental hormones are large.

Shin-hee Kim, a professor of pediatrics at the Catholic University of Korea Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, diagnosed, “Considering that the domestic pediatric population has decreased by more than 15% during the same period, the increase in precocious puberty is steeper than the apparent figure.”

For an accurate diagnosis of precocious puberty, consultation with a pediatric endocrinologist is essential. First, through history taking, the timing, progression rate, change in growth rate, family history of precocious puberty, fertility history, past medical history, etc. are identified. Afterward, the degree of physical growth and puberty development is assessed, and bone age is measured to evaluate how far ahead of the age. If necessary, the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test (a test that measures the concentration of gonadotropin by taking blood several times at 15 to 30-minute intervals after GnRH injection) is used to evaluate the response of gonadotropins and to determine the degree of progression of precocious puberty and Check the cause.

◇Girls who have breast lumps before the age of 8 should be suspicious

Precocious puberty can be suspected when the body changes during puberty occur too quickly. However, even if puberty has come early, it is necessary to distinguish whether it is within the normal range or outside the normal range.

Professor Kim Shin-hee said, “If the growth is very rapid compared to their peers, or if the bone age (bone age) is more than one year ahead of the child’s age, it can be suspected of precocious puberty. If it occurs, boys should see a hospital if their testicles become enlarged before the age of 9.”

Treatment depends on the cause of the disease. If there is an organic cause, the cause is treated. In the case of idiopathic precocious puberty without an organic cause, treatment for delayed puberty can be obtained. A GnRH derivative, a drug that delays puberty by suppressing the secretion of gonadotropins, is injected subcutaneously every 4 weeks. However, in some children, GnRH derivatives alone cannot prevent the decrease in final adult height, so growth hormone treatment is sometimes used.

In order to prevent premature puberty, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle with balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and sufficient sleep. Also, if possible, reduce the use of disposable containers and try to reduce exposure to environmental hormones.

Professor Kim Shin-hee said, “If children go through puberty at a young age, it can be embarrassing and difficult. ” he urged.

Best Regards by SAEED ZULFIQAR