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Precocious Puberty

Precocious puberty is defined as the onset of puberty in girls before the age of 8 years and in boys before the age of 10 years. It can occur following TBI in children, with signs developing from 2-17 months after the ini­tial injury.

There is a positive correlation between increased ventricular size secondary to cerebral atro­phy and the development of precocious puberty, and girls are affected much more frequently than boys (54.5% in girls to 4.5% in boys) (171). The signs of precocious puberty include onset of secondary sexual development prior to the predicted age and accelerated linear growth. These children demonstrate advanced bone age and premature closure of the epiphyseal plates. Because precocious puberty places a social and emotional burden on the patient and family, and because of the development of short stature secondary to premature epiphyseal plate closure, it is essential that the physician have a watchful eye for precocious puberty and be prepared to evaluate for it and treat it if indicated.

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Source: Alexander M.A., Matthews D.J.. Pediatric Rehabilitation: Principles and Practice. 4 th. åd. — New York: Demos Medical Publishing,2010. — 540 ð.. 2010
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