The risk of developing cancer and this disease, which is scary when children grow up, also increases
Feb 04, 2025
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His daughter Soobin (pseudonym), who entered elementary school last year, and his mother Yoon, who visited the Childhood Growth and Development Center, soon wiped away tears. Subin's diagnosis is none other than 'Mature Premature." I thought it would be enough to eat well and grow up well, but too much was not enough. Subin seemed to weigh more than his peers in appearance, but Yoon thought he would grow up to be tall. Then, not long ago, I found a lump in my chest while taking a bath with Subin.
According to data from the National Health Insurance Corporation, the number of children diagnosed with precocious puberty, which develops early secondary sexual characteristics, has steadily increased over the past decade. It increased 2.6 times from 96,733 in 2014 to 251,599 in 2023.
◇Increased precocious children, related to 'this'
It is not just a problem in Korea that the puberty period, in which secondary sexual characteristics appear, is accelerated due to an increase in sex hormone secretion. It is also on the rise worldwide. It is the increase in 'obesity' that is considered the cause.
Professor Chae Min-ji of the Department of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine at Eulji University Hospital in Daejeon said, "According to the student sample statistics, about 30% of elementary, middle, and high school students belong to overweight and obese from 2021 to 2023." The number is about 5% higher than before COVID-19, and the number of children suffering from precocious puberty is increasing."
A typical suspicious symptom of precocious puberty is that breast development begins in girls or the size of the testicles increases to more than 4cc in boys. In addition, if you notice changes in body hair such as ▲ tall rapidly, ▲ head smells like oil, or ▲ conspiracy, you should suspect precocious puberty. If these symptoms appear before the age of 8 for girls and 9 for boys, it is recommended to visit a hospital for examination. If your father or mother's growth was faster than your peers, it may affect your child, so it is also a good idea to consult a specialist in advance and get tested if necessary.
◇ If you miss the treatment time, the risk of developing cancer increases
If it is diagnosed as precocious puberty, it is generally treated with an adolescent delayed hormone injection (GnRH agonist). Formulations that are once every four weeks are common, and there are also formulations that are once every three months.
The goal of treatment is to be able to go through puberty similar to peers. Therefore, it may vary individually depending on the timing of treatment or the accompanying problem, but the treatment period is usually set from 2 to 3 years.
The biggest problem that can occur if you miss the time to treat precocious puberty is 'loss of height'. It cannot grow to the height predicted by bone age, etc. In addition, in the case of girls, menarche can begin much faster than their peers. The problem is that psychological stress is also common due to confusion caused by physical changes.
In addition, the sooner you are exposed to female hormones or male hormones, the higher the risk of developing endometriosis, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, female cancer, and male cancer such as prostate cancer as an adult.
One of the concerns parents have in treating precocious puberty is whether the hormone will be affected by the injection treatment, causing infertility or cancer in the future. Professor Chae Min-ji responded, `According to various research data, early menarche has been reported as a risk factor for breast cancer, and the faster menarche, the higher the risk of infertility"As a result, delaying treatment even though it is precocious puberty may put you at greater risk of developing disease in the future." he explains.
◇ How do I prevent precocious puberty?
To prevent precocious puberty, childhood obesity, which is the biggest cause, should be caught. To this end, it is important to practice a balanced diet. These days, growing children are easily exposed to instant foods, and it is recommended to avoid them as much as possible and eat foods that can evenly consume carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. In addition, they often eat late at night due to schedules such as academies, and the dinner time is set at 6:30 p.m., and if possible, do not exceed 7:30 p.m.
Regular sleep is also important. This is because irregular sleep leads to an imbalance in diet and affects the secretion of growth hormones. Growth hormones are known to be secreted a lot between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., but they are actively secreted from the deep sleep an hour or two after falling asleep. Therefore, it is important to sleep well enough at a certain time, and 8 hours of sleep per day is appropriate.
In addition, aerobic exercise including jump movements can help growth and development, and it can be more effective exercise if sufficient stretching is combined before and after exercise.
Sometimes precocious puberty injection treatment is considered a 'growing injection', and treatment is desired even if it is not necessary. This is also a situation that can worsen the health of your child, so you should not misuse it.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
