National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Precocious puberty


Other Names:
Sexual precocity; Idiopathic sexual precocity; Familial precocious puberty
Subtypes:
Precocious puberty is when a person's sexual and physical traits develop and mature earlier than normal. Normal puberty typically begins between ages 10 and 14 for girls, and ages 12 and 16 for boys. The start of puberty depends on various factors such as family history, nutrition and gender. The cause of precocious puberty is not always known. Some cases of precocious puberty are due to conditions that cause changes in the body's release of hormones. Treatment involves medications that can stop the release of sexual hormones.[1]
Last updated: 12/21/2012

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Hypothyroidism
Underactive thyroid
0000821
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006
Elevated circulating follicle stimulating hormone level 0008232
Elevated circulating luteinizing hormone level 0011969
Isosexual precocious puberty 0008236
Short stature
Decreased body height
Small stature
[ more ] 		0004322
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Last updated: 7/1/2020
Several studies have looked at the long-term effects of treatment with hormone therapy on children with precocious puberty. Long-term hormone treatment has been found to be safe for the reproductive system and helpful in reaching target adult height levels.[2] Additionally, there is little evidence suggesting that long term hormone treatment is associated with psychological or behavioral problems. More studies are needed to determine this association.[3]
Last updated: 12/21/2012

FDA-Approved Treatments

The medication(s) listed below have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as orphan products for treatment of this condition. Learn more orphan products.

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Precocious puberty. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • Mayo Clinic provides information on precocious puberty. Click on the link above to access this information.
  • MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.

In-Depth Information

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Precocious puberty. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.

  1. Precocious puberty. Medline Plus. 2011; http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001168.htm. Accessed 12/21/2012.
  2. Pasquino AM, Pucarelli I, Accardo F, et al.. Long-term observation of 87 girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs: impact on adult height, body mass index, bone mineral content, and reproductive function.. J. Clin Endocrin Met. 2008; 93:190-5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17940112. Accessed 12/21/2012.
  3. Carel JC, Eugster E, Rogal A, et al. Consensus Statement on the Use of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Analogs in Children. Pediatrics. 2009; 123:752-762. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/123/4/e752.long. Accessed 12/21/2012.