![]() ![]() Puberty typically begins in late childhood. The hormonal changes that lead to sexual maturation during puberty are accompanied by major physical growth and maturation of the brain. This includes the development of breast tissue and the first period in girls, and maturation of the testes in boys. Puberty is the stage of development in which a child’s body matures to enable reproduction. But these girls did not have the increased behavioural problems found in boys. Girls who reached puberty early also had more difficulties in emotional and social adjustment from early childhood. These difficulties began as early as four to five years of age and continued to early adolescence. We found that boys with an earlier onset of puberty had greater behavioural difficulties and poorer emotional and social adjustment. Around 16% of girls and 6% of boys had begun puberty by age eight to nine. Parents reported behavioural difficulties and emotional, social and school functioning in four surveys between ages four and 11. We studied a cohort of 3,491 children and families from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. This possibility was explored in a study published today in the Journal of Adolescent Health, which found children who go through puberty early showed signs of poorer mental health in early childhood. This may be part of the story.īut we’re increasingly realising that social and emotional disadvantages and stresses in childhood may trigger early puberty. We previously thought that children who entered puberty earlier than their peers were at greater risk of these problems because they were less equipped to cope with the transition. These include depression and anxiety, substance use and abuse, self-harm and eating disorders. Puberty has long been recognised as a transition point in which many emotional and behavioural problems emerge.
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