“Precocious puberty” is used to refer to a pathologic condition, while “early puberty” has become lots more common. However, over the past few decades, onset of puberty has gotten earlier than in the past. If your young child has signs of puberty, it might be a wise idea to have a check-up to rule out this condition. Precocious puberty can be a cause for concern. Precocious or early puberty is when your child starts developing before they reach the normal developmental age. What is Precocious Puberty and What Causes It? The smallest changes come first and gradually get faster and more extreme the deeper into puberty the boy goes. This all happens between the ages of 9-14 and is a gradual process. They will also have acne, their voice will change or “crack” and get deeper, and they start to sweat more. All are part of puberty and are completely normal. They also develop armpit hair, have a growth spurt, and their penis and testicles will grow. Note: This is perfectly normal even though it might be uncomfortable and embarrassing for your growing boy. They can also start having wet dreams which are dreams of sexual arousal that cause them to ejaculate in their sleep. Testosterone begins to be released and the male organs begin to develop.Īlong with the beginnings of male organ development, a boys will start to grow pubic hair and body odor. The pituitary gland also sends hormones, but the hormone that is sent is different than for girls. Male Developmentīoys start developing at around age 9-14. Her brain is starting to develop rather quickly at this point.
Note that not only does a girl’s body change, but the fact that she has hormones she’s never dealt with before(hormones which are produced in her brain) her mind will change. This is caused by the presence of estrogen which wasn’t present before. (These are usually called breast buds because it’s just the beginning.)Īfter that, she will start developing armpit hair and once she gets pubic hair it’ll be 1-2 years before she starts her menstrual cycle. The first thing they will notice is pubic hair, body odor, and the beginning development of their breasts. These hormones cause their bodies to change and develop, causing them to look more like women than little girls. The beginnings of puberty are initiated by the pituitary gland which produces and send hormones coursing through their body for the first time. Girls start puberty between the ages of 8-13. There is actually a pattern that each gender follows in their development, pubic hair being one of the first signs of beginning puberty. Generally girls develop faster and sooner than boys do. We all know that boys and girls develop at varying rates. It is possible that if they are developing as early as 7-years-old they could have either early puberty or precocious puberty. However, if your child is beginning to develop, they should be going to the doctor for a check-up whatever their age. If they are early then they should probably go in to get a checkup as it could be a sign of precocious puberty.
Is it normal for a 7-year-old to have pubic hair? It’s normal for girls to start developing things like pubic hair, body odor, and breasts before the age of 8. 7-year-olds that have pubic hair may be startling for a parent and they may worry whether their child is developing as they are supposed to. Please see my disclosure to learn more.Įveryone grows and matures.