• For females, signs include development of breasts, pubic hair, and underarm hair; increased growth rate; and menstrual bleeding.
• In boys, signs include growth of the penis and testicles, development of pubic and underarm hair, muscle growth, voice changes, and increased growth rate.

• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• McCune-Albright syndrome
• Gonadal (testicles or ovaries) or adrenal gland disorders  or tumors
• hCG-secreting tumors
• Hypothalamic hamartoma

But in many cases, there is no identifiable cause for the precocious puberty.  Puberty just starts earlier than normal.  If you think your child is beginning puberty early, talk to your child’s health care provider.

Children grow rapidly in height during puberty and reach their final adult height after puberty.  Children who go through puberty too early may not reach their full adult height potential because their growth stops too soon. 

Another reason to consider treating precocious puberty is that a young child may not be psychologically ready for the physical and hormonal changes that occur in puberty.

If precocious puberty is caused by a specific medical problem, treating the underlying problem can often stop the puberty. In addition, precocious puberty can often be stopped by medical treatment to block the hormones that cause puberty.