Pubarche
Pubarche refers to the first appearance of pubic hair at puberty. Pubarche[1] is one of the physical changes of puberty and can occur independently of complete puberty. Pubarche usually results from rising levels of androgen and not estrogens in females, and androgens in males from the adrenal glands, ovaries, or testes but may also result from exposure to an anabolic steroid.[2]
When pubarche occurs prematurely (in early or mid-childhood), it is referred to as premature pubarche or precocious puberty and may warrant an evaluation. Premature adrenarche is the most common cause of premature pubarche. Premature adrenarche is when hormones are elevated before the age of 8 to 9 years old. For premature adrenarche to be diagnosed, some conditions must be ruled out such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia, androgen-producing tumors of the adrenals or gonads.[3] When adrenarche, central puberty, and all pathologic conditions have been excluded, the term isolated premature pubarche is used to describe the unexplained development of pubic hair at an early age without other hormonal or physical changes of puberty.
Average age
The average beginning of pubarche varies due to many factors, including climate, nourishment, weight, nurture, and genes. First (and often transient) pubic hair resulting from adrenarche may appear between ages 10–12 at the beginning of puberty.
Delayed Pubarche
Delayed pubarche can be caused by numerous aspects. This can include insufficient hormones, genetic conditions, and chemicals that interfere with the hormones in the body. In young males, genetic differences that impacts the function of enzymes can affect how steroids are eliminated in urine. This can influence the development of pubic hair and can impact the physical appearance from person to person. In young females, the development of breasts and pubic hair can occur at different times.[4] Some may experience breast development before the start of pubic hair growth, and vice versa. Therefore, in order to determine if delayed pubarche is a health issue or not, looking for the signs of puberty happening and the specific timing of it is important to note.
See also
References
- ^ The word results from the combination of a Latin and a Greek word: pub-es, "adult, full-grown, manly", and ἀρχή [arkʰɛ̌ː], "beginning, onset".
- ^ Callahan, Tamara L.; Caughey, Aaron B.; Heffner, Linda (2003). Blueprints Obstetrics & Gynecology. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 1-4051-0331-0.
- ^ Novello, Laura; Speiser, Phyllis W. (2018). "Premature Adrenarche". Pediatric Annals. 47 (1): e7–e11. doi:10.3928/19382359-20171214-04. ISSN 1938-2359. PMID 29323690.
- ^ Baldo, Francesco; Barbi, Egidio; Tornese, Gianluca (2021). "Delayed pubarche". Italian Journal of Pediatrics. 47 (1): 180. doi:10.1186/s13052-021-01134-0. ISSN 1824-7288. PMC 8422600. PMID 34488834.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
External links
 | This developmental biology article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |