What Causes Sexual Precocity?

With the improvement of people's living standards, children's development is getting better and better. However, at the same time, the phenomenon of precocious puberty is becoming more and more common. Precocious puberty is not a good thing for children, so parents must prevent their children from experiencing it. The prerequisite for preventing precocious puberty is to understand its causes. So, what causes precocious puberty? The following are some common causes of precocious puberty.

1. Idiopathic precocious puberty is generally caused by non-organic lesions, which may be related to difficult childbirth, asphyxia, etc. It is more common in girls, and some have familial inheritance. Most cases occur between 4 and 8 years old, but some may also occur during infancy. Firstly, breast development occurs, which may be tender to the touch. Then, external genitalia develop, vaginal secretions increase, and pubic hair grows. Subsequently, menstruation and axillary hair appear, initially as irregular vaginal bleeding without ovulation. Boys first develop enlarged testes and penis, followed by penile erection and ejaculation, as well as the appearance of pubic hair, acne, and voice changes. At the same time, the child's height and weight increase rapidly, bone growth accelerates, and the body appears taller than peers, but often ends up shorter than normal adults.

2. Organic (or cerebral) precocious puberty is mainly caused by intracranial tumors or inflammation, which leads to an increase in gonadotropin release from the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The main manifestations of affected children include polydipsia, polyuria, overeating, obesity, etc.

3. Primary hypothyroidism can also cause precocious puberty in some cases. Girls may exhibit breast development, while boys may have enlarged testes, but their growth remains slow, bone age is delayed, and they tend to be shorter than normal children.

4. Exogenous factors such as accidental ingestion of contraceptives or hormonal medications; prolonged consumption of supplements containing royal jelly, pollen, chicken embryos, silkworm pupae, or excessive intake of foods containing estrogens can all lead to symptoms of precocious puberty.