Sexual maturation of girls

It would seem, until recently my daughter was a sweet angel, obedient and funny, and suddenly something happened to her-inexplicable moods, a sharp change of mood, and occasionally hysterics.Do not be afraid of such changes, because the girl grows, and sooner or later the period of her puberty comes.What signs accompany such "growing up", what can be considered early puberty and how to respond to it to parents?We will try to answer these questions in the presented material.

Table of Contents: Signs of puberty for girls Psychological problems of puberty for girls Early puberty for girls

Symptoms of puberty for girls, or what happens in the body

The girls' puberty lasts 2 years and ends in puberty - this timeAccounted for the first menstruation .Doctors still can not name the terms of puberty, suitable for the norm - it is believed that this period is variable: it can begin at 9 years and 11 and 13. If the signs of puberty girls are present at the age of 7 years or missing, When the child is already 15 years old, this is cause for concern.All other years that fell on the condition in question are related to the

standard.About early puberty will be written later, but immediately make a reservation - the girl's parents should not make any independent decisions on this matter.Only a doctor will be able to establish the true cause of early puberty, prescribe medication, which, incidentally, applies to late puberty.

Note: observed the following in the course of the observation: the sooner puberty began in the girl, the faster it will end.That is, if a girl at the age of 9 already showed signs of puberty, then a year and a half you can expect the first menstruation, but if these signs are observed at the age of 14, then the first menstruation can take two to two and a half years.

Signs of a normal puberty of a girl:

1. Child's growth.This is, perhaps, the first changes that parents celebrate with their daughter.Moreover, the growth of the child during this period will not be permanent:
   • in 7-8 years the girl grows actively and adds every year to 7 centimeters;
   • in 9-10 years the growth is somewhat slowed down, sometimes it seems that the girl does not grow at all - this is the norm, you should not worry;
   • 11 years - the age of rapid growth, the jump is characterized by an increase in growth of 11 centimeters per year.
Parents should be aware that at the age of 11 the girl is not only actively growing, but also gaining weight - if earlier the norm was weight gain every year by 2 kg, then at this age this value is close to 9 kg per year .And, outwardly it can be and unnoticed, but the girl will have a great appetite, she will, literally, absorb large portions of food - this requires a rapidly growing body.
2. Mammary glands.The first thing that attracts attention is changes in the mammary glands.For the period of puberty, the sequence of changes in the breast will be characteristic: first, the areola around the nipple increases, and he begins to stretch forward, then the mammary gland itself acquires a conical shape.As a rule, after 1-2 years, namely, by the time of the first menstruation, the girl's breasts acquire a more familiar, "standard", rounded-flattened shape.
3. Inaccuracy.Many people know the awkwardness and incoherence in the figure of a teenage girl - this is also a sign of her puberty.There is no cause for concern - such a disproportionate attitude toward the norm, in a short time there will be a miraculous transformation of the "ugly duckling" into a princess.
4. Hair growth, changes in the figure.With the beginning of the period of puberty, hair begins to grow in the armpits and on the pubic area.In addition, the figure of the girl undergoes major changes, it becomes more feminine - the hips widen, the waist appears.Another important point: it is during puberty that a girl's hair structure can change - for example, if before they were dry and thin, then under the influence of certain hormones they can become sturdy, fat.

Separately it is worth mentioning the most important sign of puberty - menstruation.The first menstruation, as a rule, appears at the girl in 13 years, but this age is rather conditional !There are many cases where the first bleeding was at 11 years old and this was not a pathology.Immediately specify - the menstrual cycle will "form" and stabilize for about 12 months, during this period of bleeding will be irregular, may be absent for 1-2 months and this "behavior" of the girl's organism is quite normal.As soon as the girl's first menstruation begins, her growth sharply slows down and after that a total of a child will add another 5 cm in growth.

Special attention should be given to the preparation of the girl for the first menstruation, and, of course, mother .Regardless of the age at which menstruation began, it can greatly frighten a child.Yes, children are now accelerated.Yes, they, at times, know more than adults.And yet, experts emphasize the importance of talking between a girl and her mother on the topic of puberty, the first menstruation - no book, no girlfriend, no video from the Internet will not inform the girl about the necessary information.And then, such a trusting relationship with my mother, who will be able to listen and talk even on "intimate" topics, will become a guarantee of close relations in the future.

Psychological problems of the puberty period of the girl

The above described signs of the state in question are quite capable of surprising not only parents( "when did she have time to grow up"), but the girl herself.And in this period it is important not to leave it alone with your questions, fears and doubts.

First, you need to tell the girl why such changes occur with her body and body .If this happened earlier than her friends, then it is worth emphasizing the significance of such an event as puberty, and clearly indicate that there are no deviations in development, all this is natural.

Secondly, it is worthwhile to observe the girl, who had puberty in later years - she will feel too uncomfortable in the company of contemporaries, to doubt her inferiority. And here it is necessary to become a psychologist, explain to the girl that puberty is taking place at different ages, you can even embellish the reality and tell that this mother has had this period for 14-15 years.

Thirdly, you need to talk in detail about menstruation.But once you need to stipulate that these topics are too personal, "intimate" and tell your girlfriend that the month has not begun already. Yes, this means that "the girl is ripe", but this does not mean that she became an adult, so Mom will need to talk and teach her daughter all the subtleties of behavior among her friends.

Note: the perception of changes by a girl during her puberty directly depends on how close a relationship she has with her mother.Therefore, try to "make contact" from childhood - so it will be easier to talk about "intimate" topics, and in the future between two close people will develop a trusting relationship.

Early puberty of girls

Premature puberty of girls has its symptoms:

• quickly and at the age of 9 years, changes in the mammary glands began;
• marks female hair type at the age of 9 years;
• stops the growth of the girl;
• the appearance of menstruation before the age of seven.

Special attention should be paid to the fact that the appearance of menstrual bleeding in a girl with premature puberty does not at all mean that she has become a woman - such bleeding is also called non-ovulatory / menstrual-like, that is, an ovary from a girl does not go for fertilization into the cavityThe uterus.

This premature sexual maturation in girls is a deviation from the norm and has several forms of flow.

Classification of premature puberty of girls

Gynecologists and endocrinologists distinguish several forms of the condition under consideration:

1. Complete form of true premature puberty.It is characterized by the presence of all the signs of the condition in question, the areas of bone growth "close" very quickly in the girls and their growth stops at 150-152 centimeters.True premature puberty.
2. .In the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, the girl has too active production of hormones, which also have a stimulating effect on the ovaries.Partial form of premature puberty.
3. .Secondary sexual signs, in this case, the girl will appear early, but menstruation will begin at 10-11 years, which is considered the norm.
4. False premature puberty.Usually, with this form of the condition being examined, the first menstruation begins at an extremely early age, but the secondary sexual characteristics appear "within the timetable," that is, 10-11 years.
5. The heterosexual form.At the girl secondary sexual signs not only appear early, but also correspond to masculine.This condition is associated with the pathologies of the adrenal glands, which provokes an increased production of androgen hormones.

Causes of early puberty of girls

The following factors can lead to the considered state:

• hereditary predisposition - early sexual maturation is transmitted to the family from generation to generation, but does not affect the reproductive capacity of the female body;
• problems in the work of the hypothalamus and / or pituitary, which leads to excessive production of hormones;
• Various neoplasms of benign or malignant nature in the ovaries.

Very often, girls with premature puberty are born in women who during pregnancy smoked / used alcohol and drugs, or have an anamnesis of endocrine diseases.

How to treat

Only after a full diagnosis and a number of specific examinations the doctor will be able to tell which therapy should be used to correct the sexual development of the girl. It is possible that you will only need to choose a diet and normalize the psycho-emotional background of the child.But often for the normalization of the condition used drugs hormone - the appointment of such medicines should be done only by specialists.

Surgical treatment is prescribed only if the girl has been diagnosed with a tumor of the adrenal glands, ovaries or the hypothalamus - the neoplasm is simply removed and the processes of puberty are within normal limits.

As for the late puberty of the girl, it will most likely be about hormonal problems and / or malformation of the genitals of .It is usually possible to solve the problem with hormonal drugs, but they can be prescribed only by doctors.

Sexual maturation of girls is so individual that it is not possible to give any clear recommendations and to provide an age framework for this period. The only thing that experts recommend to pay special attention to is a trusting relationship with the girl .In this case, she will be able to talk about her fears and doubts, share some new sensations that will help determine the need to seek qualified medical help.

Tsygankova Yana Alexandrovna, medical reviewer, therapist of the highest qualification category