The annual incidence of precocious puberty and its variants has increased significantly in Denmark over the past 20 years.
- The incidence of precocious puberty was multiplied by 6 for girls of Danish origin and by 15 for boys of Danish origin.
- These data have implications for short- and long-term health, and potentially for the international classification of the reference age of puberty.
The number of children affected by precocious puberty has increased considerably over the past twenty years, according to a new Danish study. This type of epidemiological data is still rare in the scientific literature.
Breast development before the age of eight
“Precocious puberty is manifested in girls by breast development before the age of eight, and in boys by an increase in testicular volume, but especially in the genitals before the age of nine and a half. It can be also pubic hair before eight years in girls and before nine and a half years in boys”, explains Dr. Claire Jeandel, endocrino-pediatrician at the CHU Arnaud de Villeneuve (Montpellier).
The early and isolated development of the breasts (premature thelarche) or hair growth (premature adrenarche) is distinguished from precocious puberty by the absence of development of any other sexual characteristics.
The incidence of precocious puberty multiplied
The age- and sex-specific incidence rates of first diagnosis of central precocious puberty (CPP), prematurity thelarche (PT) and prematurity adrenarche (PA) were estimated using data from the Danish National Patient Registry of 1998 to 2017. Incidences were stratified by immigrant group (Danish descent, first-generation immigrant, second-generation immigrant).
Conclusion: A total of 8,596 children were registered with a diagnosis of central precocious puberty (CPP), premature thelarche (PT) or premature adrenarche (PA), of which 7,391 (86.0%) were of Danish origin , which corresponds to 370 new cases per year. The incidence of precocious puberty was multiplied by 6 for girls of Danish origin and by 15 for boys of Danish origin.
Short- and long-term health implications
“Our results indicate that the annual incidence of precocious puberty and its variants has increased significantly in Denmark over the past 20 years. These data have implications for short- and long-term health, and potentially for the international classification of the reference age of puberty”, conclude the authors.
For reasons that are still unknown (tracks target endocrine disruptors, editor’s note), the incidence of precocious puberty is increasing all over the world. Young girls who have suffered from precocious puberty are more likely to become obese, to develop cancers, ovarian cysts, or masculinization of certain parts of the body.
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