Early or Precocious Puberty | Conditions We Treat | Pediatric Endocrinology Specialty | UC Davis Children's Hospital

Early puberty is defined as a boy who starts true pubertal development before nine years or a girl before eight years of age. Early puberty is controlled by the brain and pituitary gland as is puberty that starts in the normal age range. Early puberty is sometimes due to a benign variation that requires no treatment but sometimes can be an indication of serious disease, a condition that requires evaluation by a pediatric endocrinologist. The specialist will usually order blood tests and an x-ray of the left hand known as a bone age to determine the cause of the early puberty. Premature adrenarche is a benign form of early onset of pubic or axillary hair growth, a limited form of early puberty.