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Precocious Puberty
Puberty that happens early is called precocious puberty. This means a child's physical signs of sexual maturity develop too soon. This includes breast growth, pubic hair, and voice changes. These are known as secondary sexual characteristics. Precocious puberty happens before age 8 in girls, and before age 9 in boys.
Delayed Puberty
Puberty that happens late is called delayed puberty. This means a child's physical signs of sexual maturity don’t appear by age 12 in girls or age 14 in boys. This includes breast or testicle growth, pubic hair, and voice changes. These are known as secondary sexual characteristics.
Early Puberty (Precocious Puberty)
When a child has signs of puberty at an early age, it's called precocious puberty. This starts before age 8 in girls, and before age 9 in boys.
Gonadotropin-Independent Precocious Puberty
Puberty that happens early is called precocious puberty. Gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty is caused by early secretion of high levels of sex hormones. These include the male androgens and female estrogens.
