why don't doctors regulate when you enter puberty?

[justme1119]

well I'm just wondering. Like what if emotionally a child does not really want to go through puberty or it's coming too slow for that individual? Like why can't pediatricians slow it down or make it come faster? Jw?

[Harmony♥]

Puberty is out of the hands of doctors. It's a natural process that EVERYONE goes through. We HAVE to go through puberty. We can't stop it. There is just no way. Female's tend to mature faster than male's, so we usually hit puberty first. Everyone hits puberty at different times. It's meant to be that way.

[lookuptotheskies]

Some people get given hormones to stop it happening yet. A girl I know started to go through early puberty at age 7 as a side affect of the medication she's on and the disabilities she has, the doctors have given her other medication that will stop it for the moment as she's really young.

I started puberty when I was 9, it can be really difficult when you start early, I started my period before my sister who is older than me, so it was hard being the younger one of the two and starting first.

Unless it's a real issue they won't do anything about it.

[justme1119]

I know but I have like looked into like in rarer cases if puberty is delayed or not completed w.e. Pediatricians will give medication so it happens correctly. And I've read about with premature maturation which like if a 2 year old is going through puberty of course medical intervention will delay this. I'm wondering in less drastic situatiions. Like personally I felt like emotionally I was not as mature as I looked to be becoming. I remember feeling like my body was so foreign because of the onset of puberty. I've read how emotionally it can take its effect if it's early or late.

[Harmony♥]

Of course when your body changes it's going to feel foreign to you. That's what puberty is about. Your body is changing, but since this isn't a rare case, a doctor won't do anything to stop the onset of puberty.

A girl I know started puberty at 7 because of the hormones her mother dad to take while she was pregnant (with both of her children). Her parents decided to let her continue going through puberty with medical intervention since puberty is a natural process and it has to happen at some point.

[justme1119]

no I felt like an alien compared to my peer like I felt out of place like an older person trying to be little. The impression initially by others is always negatively because expectations are different when you appear to be older but act act younger......

[Chris]

Doctors can not do anything to change the way your body matures or in this case making puberty come faster or slower.

You need to remember, that we all go through puberty differently. My best friend - looks like an Alien and we make fun of him alot, but then on the other hand, my other best friend is so jacked out of his mind, but then on the other hand my other friend is very tall and skinny, and then I'm pretty built - and we are all 16-17. So see, although we are all the same age, we have all gone through different growth spurts, different facial things (I use to get alot of acne), different body types, etc.

If you are really interested in knowing about the cases you mentioned and seeing if you can do something similar I would contact a doctor - but I'm pretty sure that they will refuse or in some cases not even be able to do anything like that. Trust me, your body will go through alot more stages. They say your body wont stop changing (puberty wise) until around 17-23.



Best wishes,
Chris

[justme1119]

not really now even though I hate how I age that's too late. But I just meant for others I didn't get why they dont analyze emotionally. I don't know maybe it's just me but when I was 9 to 12 I kind of felt things were going too fast compared to where I was emotionally. Like at 10 I think it's inappropriate to have the physical maturity of someone in their mid-early teens. To me if a 2 or 7 year old isn't supposed to mature that early why should an 8 or 9 year mature faster than usual? Idk....

[MindBodySpirit]

Hormones are powerful things. Unless you have to, it's a bad idea to mess around with them, because of potential side effect. Yes, it can suck to develop at a different time than your peers, but it's just a part of life. Unless it's an extreme case, you'll just have to deal with it.

Just take Human Growth Hormone for example. If a person doesn't have a way of regulating the levels of hGH in their body, they would likely have gigantism. This is bad because the organs don't necessarily end up being the right size for this type of person. This can be a problem because they just they can't get enough circulation and body function to the enlarged tissues.

If there's nothing that will cause physical problems for going through puberty at the time that you do, there's no logical reason to step in.

[SamMarie]

With puberty, nothing is set. There are changes all the time and whether you go through it slowe than others, let it flow naturally. It is usually genetic and to simply put hormones in can cause side effects to the way your body naturally runs. They do check your height which is part of a puberty analysis. If you feel something is really wrong contact a professional or doctor. In the mean time, be patient with your body. Good luck!

[ThisIsHowIDisappear]

My friend didn't start until a few months ago and he's almost 15 now. I feel bad for him but give him props for not giving a shit, and his girlfriend as well doesn't really care I guess.

[Loving Linux Penguin]

I do know that early puberty can often be delayed, and late puberty can be stimulated with hormones. When I matured early, i was given the opportunity to undergo a procedure that would stop my development in it's tracks and push it back to a more average time frame. I didn't take that opportunity: because 1) the procedure itself scared me and 2) I didn't feel like this was anything wrong with me (which it TECHNICALLY wasn't--I was the early side of normal and not actually abnormal). So the answer is--it CAN be regulated, but there's no reason TO regulate it unless something is majorly off.

[Loving Linux Penguin]

Originally Posted by thehorse.

My friend didn't start until a few months ago and he's almost 15 now. I feel bad for him but give him props for not giving a
shit, and his girlfriend as well doesn't really care I guess.

Yeah, I have a friend who just turned 15 this month and I don't think he's started yet (although we don't really talk about it all that much, and it's not like I observe him night and day either, so...). In any case though, he's still normal, just a little bit on the later side than average. And that's totally okay. It doesn't really matter all that much.

[justme1119]

my aunt didn't get her period until 15 right before 16. It was good because she still wasn't ready. So it kind of was nature's blessing.
I think it's individual experience. My 'friends' usually seem to be ok with how they were on time. It just seems like it could cause body image issues. But I guess the danger could outweigh it.

and yea I was asking in general not personal. I'm pretty much done with everything just rather for others who started at a different time from their peer really....

[Harmony♥]

Everyone starts puberty at different times; anyone who went through health or puberty education classes will know this.

All of my friends started maturing at different times. A friend of mine got her period at 10, I got mine at 11 and another friend didn't get hers until she was a freshman in high school. It just varies from person to person. My boyfriend's cousin didn't go through the "voice change" until this year, but his sister started maturing about a year ago. You won't find any two people who began growing boobs or started their periods at the very same time, especially if they know each other.

[justme1119]

my two other aunts got their periods both at 10.
but I get what you mean. Only thing is in general don't 11 year olds look a certain age in general? That's all I meant....

[Harmony♥]

Well, our physical appearance doesn't begin to change until we hit puberty. So, you may see some 11 year old's that look older than they are, or some that look younger than they are. My sister's boyfriend looks like she could be 14-15, but she's only 13. Granted, it's only a year or two difference, but those years could really make an impact on someone's physical appearance. 11 year olds will look like how they're maturing, if that makes sense.

[justme1119]

I knew a girl who looked 13 when she was 10. She grew up that way. People thought I was a senior or junior at 11. While like my peer looked like eleven year olds. Nowadays I'm 14 and I look even older. Like 20 or 21. My friends mostly look about 14 or 15 16 at the most. So that's what I meant them being maturing average for their age. But puberty is never the same or in the same order I know that so yea...

[SamMarie]

Puberty can actually be delayed or brought upon early by the foods we eat since we put so many chemicals in it. Even with drinks. I started my period at age 10.

[Dream]

They can't. They could try to mess around with the pituitary gland, but they're just as likely (or it is more likely) to kill the person or leave them fully paralyzed as they are to achieve the desired results. It definitely would not be ethical, and it wouldn't be desirable either.

Also, is there such a thing as a child that is ready to go through puberty?

[Loving Linux Penguin]

^ I know there is a way for it to be done, because I saw a specialist who wanted to give me a simple procedure (not surgical) to correct my early development.

[chickenonsteroids]

if a child doesn't want to go through puberty at the normal age? It'd be really stupid to stop that wouldn't it? Imagine a 20 year old having not gone through puberty because they're scared to live.

Speeding it up however happens all the time.

[Loving Linux Penguin]

Yeah, the only way to really do that with a guy I think would be castration (I dunno about females) but good luck finding a doctor willing to perform that procedure.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Originally Posted by justme1119

I knew a girl who looked 13 when she was 10. She grew up that way. People thought I was a senior or junior at 11. While like my peer looked like eleven year olds. Nowadays I'm 14 and I look even older. Like 20 or 21. My friends mostly look about 14 or 15 16 at the most. So that's what I meant them being maturing average for their age. But puberty is never the same or in the same order I know that so yea...

I'm 22, going to start my Master's degree and I still get mistaken for being in high-school between grade 9-11, rarely in grade 12. The same applies to me father and uncle, they're in their mid-60s and both have jet black hair with a small amount of whitening/grey hair at the sides, and are mistaken for being in their early to mid 40s. It's not that we're short and frail, most adults on my father's side are at least 6 ft 2, big-boned and well built.

The problem of slowing down or speeding up puberty is that it cannot be forecasted. It can be altered by the use of certain powerful medications as a side-effect.

Originally Posted by Loving Linux Penguin

Yeah, the only way to really do that with a guy I think would be castration (I dunno about females) but good luck finding a doctor willing to perform that procedure.

Doing so would not stop puberty. Testosterone is still produced by the adrenal gland. Additionally, males use estrogen and can convert it to types of testosterone. If you truly wanted to do that, you would have to remove the adrenal glands, perform a castration and, remove the pituitary gland but, even then, it will not completely remove testosterone because the converting enzymes are found throughout the body.

[justme1119]

no actually for precocious puberty it's halted by the hormone lhrh. It blocks sex hormones.
I guess further reading explain it is done but for kids under 9. Another reason I hate my mom.
for delayed puberty or incomplete like with turner's syndrome klinefelter's syndrome for example they have hormones to initiate or finish puberty. And I didn't mean at the average age exactly I meant anytime outside of the norm. Like 7 8 or 9 or 13 14 15 or 16.

http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/...geS1474P0.html

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical...recocious.html

http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_he...d_puberty.html

[dr2005]

The simple reason is this: puberty is a natural part of the life cycle and attempts to stop it or delay its onset can be risky and aren't to be taken lightly. It will always be a case of slowing onset rather than stopping in any event, as LHRH analogs can decrease the level of FSH and LH but cannot stop them completely. (Much as some websites talk about "stopping or even reversing" puberty, from a biological perspective this isn't quite correct in terms of what actually happens with the hormones. They're just kept at a low enough level to arrest development) Blocking hormones long-term can also lead to problems with other areas of growth such as the skeleton with osteoporosis and bone wastage, hence my comment that it isn't a course of action to be taken lightly. On a more general level, the question of defining when someone is or isn't mature enough for this level of development is broadly speaking unanswerable - there is considerable development of the brain as well as the rest of the body, so maturity levels will be affected irrespective of prior behaviour. That's why medical intervention is only carried out in extreme circumstances - it's just too much of a grey area to apply any blanket rules.

[justme1119]

it says any boy under 9 going through those symptoms that it should and is stopped. My behavior and maturity didn't change really. It stayed the same as my peer. Which was my biggest flaw because I was such a little boy inside just an average 8 or 9 year yet by 10 I had been assumed as 15 or 14 years old. I don't think a 10 year old should take on those expectations. And supposedly I was reading about the effects and it can be quite inappropriate for children underage. Just like in extreme cases of delayed puberty. I get it now though. For those in normal age range it wouldn't be practical. But yea thanks for your comments guys.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Originally Posted by justme1119

no actually for precocious puberty it's halted by the hormone lhrh. It blocks sex hormones.

You read incorrectly, although after going through your links, the first link uses poor wording. LHRH is not used, rather leuprolide acetate (LA) is often used as a synthetically-produced LHRH analog. In a very short and crude summary, LHRH is naturally-produced and the goal of the treatment outlined in your links is to overload your body with LHRH. This may seem a bit strange but it has to do with relying on positive and negative feedback loops of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular control system.

Normally, LHRH is secreted to the testes, alongside androgens (i.e. testosterone). When there is insufficient LHRH, the hypothalamus will signal the pituitary gland to release more, as well as more testosterone released. When there is too much LHRH, a protein called inhibin will be released in order to reduce LHRH and FSH. Also, androgens will help reduce LHRH and LH. Knowing this, the purpose of LA is to somewhat block LHRH, causing a reduction of FSH and LH. As mentioned above, there is an alternate source of providing testosterone, however, it mostly provides a small amount. Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of health complications with using LA, at least in adults.

[justme1119]

and there are many psychological issues when being exposed to puberty so early...

[Loving Linux Penguin]

^ There can be, yes. BUT they can be dealt with pretty simply just by having talks with the child in question, reassuring him/her that what is happening to them is normal, and giving them plenty of opportunities to ask questions about what is happening to them, what is normal and what is not, etc.

[justme1119]

why is it normal? How is it normal to go into puberty in second grade. Kids don't usually go through puberty at 7 or 8. Children WILL validate that nothing's normal about that. Plus it's not appropriate to have certain feelings that come with puberty. It's inappropriate and a child doesn't know how to handle it when they are so young. The range is 9 to 15. 8 and 7 aren't included.in that.

[Loving Linux Penguin]

No, they aren't. And in that instance doctors probably WOULD take steps to attempt to delay the process. Regardless of whether they are developing early than normal or not, the processes involved in said development ARE normal. Puberty IS a normal, necessary, and unescapable part of growing up.

[justme1119]

precocious puberty didn't feel normal to me. I'm not talking exactly about puberty. Just orecocious puberty and delayed puberty. It's a difference when it's outside of the age range. That's all....

[Loving Linux Penguin]

I agree--and while I WAS earlier than most, I was not outside of the normal age range for guys. That said, I still think the psychological stuff can be taken care of largely by letting the person have a completely open environment to ask questions and get information.

[justme1119]

it's not just the lack of knowledge it's what the body does to the mind also the interpretation by others etc.. An 8 year old should not have the adult physical body it messed with my mind I just wasn't ready. At 7 or 8 it's quite unusual for them to have it for a reason obviouslt.