Precocious puberty

Puberty is an important period of physical, cognitive and social maturation of the child. Early puberty is not a particularly uncommon phenomenon and as it may be a pointer to underlying pathology, these children require careful evaluation. The management of early puberty does not simply depend on the age of onset but also on the tempo of pubertal progress and the underlying aetiology. In girls with idiopathic, gonadotrophin-dependent central precocious puberty, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist therapy remains the mainstay of therapy. Its benefits in terms of final height may be greatest in children who are treated in early childhood. Although cessation of puberty in older girls may allow psychosocial adjustment in some cases, there is a need for further research to understand the extent of abnormality of these aspects.