Pediatria pre prax 5/2010

What should the paediatrician know about precocious puberty

Evaluation of sexual development is an integral part of everyday practice of pediatrician. It is therefore essential that the practitioner for children and adolescents knew the criteria of normal and abnormal onset of puberty. Precocious puberty may be a variant of normal development, but may also be an expression of a serious disease that requires early and detailed examination by a specialist. Diagnostics of precocious puberty is an interdisciplinary, coordinated by children’s endocrinologist. The goal of treatment is to bring a child’s development of its peers in terms of sexual development, growth and psyche. The publication presents an analysis of various forms of precocious puberty, a brief overview of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Keywords: precocious puberty, therapy, gonadoliberin analogs, growth and development, final height.