What are medical conditions associated with early, or late, puberty?
Precocious puberty Precocious puberty is the medical term for puberty that occurs earlier than usual. While medical professionals are not in full agreement about the age ranges for the definition of precocious puberty, many doctors believe that a medical evaluation for precocious puberty should be performed if breast or pubic hair development occurs prior to age 7 in Caucasian girls and prior to age 6 in African American girls. Boys who show signs of developing secondary sex characteristics prior to age 9 are also considered to have precocious puberty. Precocious puberty can be associated with psychological difficulties that may impact a child’s emotional development. Precocious puberty is much more common in girls than in boys. Many girls experience precocious puberty in the absence of any disease or condition. In boys, however, precocious puberty is more likely to be associated with an underlying medical problem. While in many cases the exact cause of precocious puberty cannot be det
